Bronte Dooley
Encyclopedia
Bronterre Washington Dooley (4 July 1867—19 October 1913), known as Bronte Dooley, was an Australian politician, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
from 1911 until 1913 representing the seat of Geraldton
for the Australian Labor Party
. Prior to entering politics, he worked for the Labor cause for more than 20 years, including helping to organise the first elections in which the Australian Labor movement participated in New South Wales
in 1891.
in eastern London
to James Dooley, a storeman and stonemason, and Ann (née Harkin). The family moved to Sydney
when he was young, and he was educated there before being apprenticed as a railway coach builder in 1884. Influenced by his father who was a prominent member of the Operative Stonemasons' Society in Sydney, Dooley joined the Sydney Coachbuilders' Society at the conclusion of his apprenticeship in 1888 and also became associated with the Sydney Socialist League. He married Annie Creo Stanley, who later became a trade union leader, on 29 March 1888 in Redfern
, but he left her some time later and they officially divorced in March 1893.
In 1891, while a member of the Paddington
Political Labor League, he assisted in organising Political Labor's campaign for the elections to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
—the first organised Labor campaign anywhere in Australia. The candidate in the four-member Paddington seat was George Dyson, a young compositor from Perth
, Western Australia
who came a close fifth and hence was defeated.
Following the election, a series of poor export conditions, busted land booms and failed financial institutions plunged much of eastern Australia into recession. Dooley obtained work as a prospector, miner, farm hand, shearer and carpenter in outback areas of Australia and in New Zealand before moving to Perth
, Western Australia
in 1897, where he became a coachbuilder for the Railways Department. In 1898, he became a foundation member of the state branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Employees, and took a leading role in obtaining official recognition for the body. Among his achievements were having a Railways Department regulation overturned which forbade political or municipal activity by employees, negotiating a complete classification for all waged staff in the railways. He also helped to negotiate an increase from 7s. to 8s. per day for fettlers, although this measure partly involved a strike which hampered railway traffic for over a week. He was a delegate for the Railway Society to the Trades and Labor Council in 1901–1902.
In 1903, Dooley moved to Geraldton
in the state's Mid West and worked in carriage and coach building. On 16 June 1904, he married Helen Watson, with whom he was to have two daughters. He was a leader in the local labour movement, organising a protest for the Eight Hours movement, and helping to establish the Victoria District General Workers' Union and also of the Labor Party
's Geraldton branch, in both cases serving as inaugural president. He also founded the Geraldton Co-operative Society. joined the local Railway Ambulance Corps and served as president of the Railways Football Club, and was prominent in the local Amateur Dramatic Society.
Dooley attempted to gain Labor preselection for the Geraldton electorate
ahead of the 1908 state election. The sitting member, Thomas Leishman Brown, won the preselection, but lost the election to the Ministerial (later Liberal) candidate Henry Carson. Dooley then ran for and won the East Ward of the Geraldton Municipal Council
in 1910, following a decision by that body to let municipal work by contract, and he served two terms as a councillor thereafter. He enjoyed the support of the Geraldton Express newspaper, edited by John Drew, a member of the Legislative Council
who was later to join the Labor Party.
Dooley succeeded in becoming the endorsed Labor candidate ahead of the 1911 state elections
against fellow Geraldton councillor E. C. Bartlett and one other candidate. He briefly made headline news when on 23 September, less than two weeks before the vote, he and two other railway employees were sacked by the Railways Commissioner, J. T. Short, for nominating as candidates for the elections. The situation caused some embarrassment for the Liberal Government, and the Premier, Frank Wilson, intervened to have their positions restored. As it turned out, Dooley obtained a 4.33% swing to gain the seat from Carson.
In Parliament, he championed the Geraldton Water Scheme, which was established during his term, and advocated for the improvement of Geraldton's harbour and establishment of a freezing works at the port, as well as a Saturday holiday for shop assistants. The Geraldton Guardian, a paper generally supporting the Liberal cause, described him as "hardworking and painstaking in doing all he could to advance the interests of this town".
He was never in very good health, but worked tirelessly to assist Labor candidates at the 1913 federal election
, and continued with his commitments in the Geraldton community. Eventually, he was admitted to St Omar's Hospital in Havelock Street, West Perth
, where he died of tuberculosis of the throat on 19 October 1913, aged 46. He was buried in the Catholic section of Karrakatta Cemetery and many Labor figures attended his funeral.
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
from 1911 until 1913 representing the seat of Geraldton
Electoral district of Geraldton
Geraldton is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.Geraldton was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election...
for the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. Prior to entering politics, he worked for the Labor cause for more than 20 years, including helping to organise the first elections in which the Australian Labor movement participated in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1891.
Biography
Dooley was born in West HamWest Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
in eastern London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to James Dooley, a storeman and stonemason, and Ann (née Harkin). The family moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
when he was young, and he was educated there before being apprenticed as a railway coach builder in 1884. Influenced by his father who was a prominent member of the Operative Stonemasons' Society in Sydney, Dooley joined the Sydney Coachbuilders' Society at the conclusion of his apprenticeship in 1888 and also became associated with the Sydney Socialist League. He married Annie Creo Stanley, who later became a trade union leader, on 29 March 1888 in Redfern
Redfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, but he left her some time later and they officially divorced in March 1893.
In 1891, while a member of the Paddington
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
Political Labor League, he assisted in organising Political Labor's campaign for the elections to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
—the first organised Labor campaign anywhere in Australia. The candidate in the four-member Paddington seat was George Dyson, a young compositor from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
who came a close fifth and hence was defeated.
Following the election, a series of poor export conditions, busted land booms and failed financial institutions plunged much of eastern Australia into recession. Dooley obtained work as a prospector, miner, farm hand, shearer and carpenter in outback areas of Australia and in New Zealand before moving to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
in 1897, where he became a coachbuilder for the Railways Department. In 1898, he became a foundation member of the state branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Employees, and took a leading role in obtaining official recognition for the body. Among his achievements were having a Railways Department regulation overturned which forbade political or municipal activity by employees, negotiating a complete classification for all waged staff in the railways. He also helped to negotiate an increase from 7s. to 8s. per day for fettlers, although this measure partly involved a strike which hampered railway traffic for over a week. He was a delegate for the Railway Society to the Trades and Labor Council in 1901–1902.
In 1903, Dooley moved to Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
in the state's Mid West and worked in carriage and coach building. On 16 June 1904, he married Helen Watson, with whom he was to have two daughters. He was a leader in the local labour movement, organising a protest for the Eight Hours movement, and helping to establish the Victoria District General Workers' Union and also of the Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
's Geraldton branch, in both cases serving as inaugural president. He also founded the Geraldton Co-operative Society. joined the local Railway Ambulance Corps and served as president of the Railways Football Club, and was prominent in the local Amateur Dramatic Society.
Dooley attempted to gain Labor preselection for the Geraldton electorate
Electoral district of Geraldton
Geraldton is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.Geraldton was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election...
ahead of the 1908 state election. The sitting member, Thomas Leishman Brown, won the preselection, but lost the election to the Ministerial (later Liberal) candidate Henry Carson. Dooley then ran for and won the East Ward of the Geraldton Municipal Council
City of Geraldton
The City of Geraldton was a Local Government Area in the Mid West region of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth on the Indian Ocean...
in 1910, following a decision by that body to let municipal work by contract, and he served two terms as a councillor thereafter. He enjoyed the support of the Geraldton Express newspaper, edited by John Drew, a member of the Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
who was later to join the Labor Party.
Dooley succeeded in becoming the endorsed Labor candidate ahead of the 1911 state elections
Western Australian state election, 1911
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 3 October 1911 to elect 50 members to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. The Labor party, led by Opposition Leader John Scaddan, defeated the conservative Ministerialist government led by Premier Frank Wilson...
against fellow Geraldton councillor E. C. Bartlett and one other candidate. He briefly made headline news when on 23 September, less than two weeks before the vote, he and two other railway employees were sacked by the Railways Commissioner, J. T. Short, for nominating as candidates for the elections. The situation caused some embarrassment for the Liberal Government, and the Premier, Frank Wilson, intervened to have their positions restored. As it turned out, Dooley obtained a 4.33% swing to gain the seat from Carson.
In Parliament, he championed the Geraldton Water Scheme, which was established during his term, and advocated for the improvement of Geraldton's harbour and establishment of a freezing works at the port, as well as a Saturday holiday for shop assistants. The Geraldton Guardian, a paper generally supporting the Liberal cause, described him as "hardworking and painstaking in doing all he could to advance the interests of this town".
He was never in very good health, but worked tirelessly to assist Labor candidates at the 1913 federal election
Australian federal election, 1913
Federal elections were held in Australia on 31 May 1913. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Andrew Fisher was defeated by the opposition Commonwealth Liberal...
, and continued with his commitments in the Geraldton community. Eventually, he was admitted to St Omar's Hospital in Havelock Street, West Perth
West Perth, Western Australia
West Perth is an inner suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. It is part of the inner mixed zone, and has predominantly office blocks which have displaced residential buildings. There is a high proportion of miners and consultants, and particularly medical specialists, compared to...
, where he died of tuberculosis of the throat on 19 October 1913, aged 46. He was buried in the Catholic section of Karrakatta Cemetery and many Labor figures attended his funeral.