Herbert Robinson (Queensland politician)
Encyclopedia
Herbert Freemont Robinson (20 May 1893 – 3 June 1969) was an Australian politician, and a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
from 1953 until 1957 representing the seat of Sandgate
.
, Queensland
, to Philip Robinson, a school teacher, and his wife Lucy (née Mann). He was educated at Comet State School and subsequently taught as a pupil-teacher. By 1915, he was working as a railway porter in Toowoomba
.
He enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force
on 27 August 1915 as a Private, embarking for active service in Egypt on 31 January 1916 aboard T.S. Wandilla
and transferring to the 2nd Pioneer Battalion where he saw service in both Egypt and France. He was wounded in action in May 1917, and was out of the war for much of 1918 due to illness. In April 1919 he joined the AIF Education Service where he worked as a Duty Librarian. He returned to Brisbane in July 1919 and was discharged there with the rank of Sergeant on 27 August 1919. He was awarded the British War Medal
and Victory Medal
.
Robinson worked variously in the railways of Queensland for much of his life. He was a porter in Wyreema
, Maryborough
and Gympie
over 1919–1920, and a shunter in Ipswich
and Bundamba
until 1925. While working in Ipswich, he married Agnes Doran on 14 July 1924, with whom he was to have two sons and three daughters. From 1925 until 1942, Robinson was employed as a guard on the Kingaroy
line, and then became a first-class guard at Shorncliffe
in 1942, and moved his family to nearby Sandgate
.
He had been involved with the Australian Railways Union during this time, being elected to its executive, and had joined the Australian Labor Party
, under whose banner he stood unsuccessfully at the 1950 state election
for the seat of Sandgate
against the Liberal
incumbent, Eric Decker. He achieved a 10% swing to win the seat at the 1953 state election
, and held it in 1956.
Premier Vince Gair
was expelled from the Labor Party on 24 April 1957, and a number of mostly Catholic Labor MPs, including Robinson, joined him in forming a new Queensland Labor Party
. He lost at the state election
following.
After his defeat, he worked as a railways clerk in Brisbane
until his retirement in 1959. He died on 3 June 1969 in Greenslopes
at the Repatriation Hospital, and was buried and cremated at the Nudgee Catholic Cemetery.
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
from 1953 until 1957 representing the seat of Sandgate
Electoral district of Sandgate
The district of Sandgate is an electoral division in the state of Queensland, Australia.It is located in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, covering Sandgate, Shorncliffe, Deagon, Brighton, Bracken Ridge, Fitzgibbon, and Taigum...
.
Biography
Robinson was born in CometComet, Queensland
Comet is a town in central Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the Capricorn Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane. At the 2006 census, Comet and the surrounding area had a population of 233....
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, to Philip Robinson, a school teacher, and his wife Lucy (née Mann). He was educated at Comet State School and subsequently taught as a pupil-teacher. By 1915, he was working as a railway porter in Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
.
He enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
on 27 August 1915 as a Private, embarking for active service in Egypt on 31 January 1916 aboard T.S. Wandilla
HMAT Wandilla
The SS Wandilla 7785 tons, was built in 1912 by William Beardmore and Company, Glasgow for the Adelaide Steamship Company.-Design and construction:...
and transferring to the 2nd Pioneer Battalion where he saw service in both Egypt and France. He was wounded in action in May 1917, and was out of the war for much of 1918 due to illness. In April 1919 he joined the AIF Education Service where he worked as a Duty Librarian. He returned to Brisbane in July 1919 and was discharged there with the rank of Sergeant on 27 August 1919. He was awarded the British War Medal
British War Medal
The British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918...
and Victory Medal
Victory Medal (United Kingdom)
The Victory Medal is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at...
.
Robinson worked variously in the railways of Queensland for much of his life. He was a porter in Wyreema
Wyreema, Queensland
Wyreema is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Wyreema had a population of 1,109.A suburban rail motor service from Toowoomba commenced in May, 1917, running to Wyreema, 10 miles away. It was extended to Cambooya and to Willowburn in 1918. They ceased...
, Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
and Gympie
Gympie
Gympie may refer to:* Gympie, a city in Queensland, Australia** Gympie Airport** Electoral district of Gympie** Gympie Region, its local government authority* Gympie Gympie , a stinging plant...
over 1919–1920, and a shunter in Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
and Bundamba
Bundamba, Queensland
Bundamba is a large suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.Bundamba stretches from the Bremer River to the north, across Brisbane Rd, the main arterial link to the Ipswich Motorway, to the Cunningham Highway in the south...
until 1925. While working in Ipswich, he married Agnes Doran on 14 July 1924, with whom he was to have two sons and three daughters. From 1925 until 1942, Robinson was employed as a guard on the Kingaroy
Kingaroy, Queensland
Kingaroy is an agricultural town in Queensland, Australia, approximately or about 2½ hours drive north-west of the state capital Brisbane. The town is situated on the junction of the D'Aguilar and the Bunya Highways...
line, and then became a first-class guard at Shorncliffe
Shorncliffe, Queensland
Shorncliffe is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is situated northeast of Brisbane and is the neighbouring suburb of Sandgate. The suburb comes under the jurisdiction of the Brisbane City Council.It is a small community with a village atmosphere...
in 1942, and moved his family to nearby Sandgate
Sandgate, Queensland
Sandgate is a coastal suburb in Brisbane, Australia, located 16 km north of the Brisbane CBD. The town became a popular escape for the people of Brisbane in the early 20th century.-Geography:Sandgate is situated on the coastline, along Bramble Bay...
.
He had been involved with the Australian Railways Union during this time, being elected to its executive, and had joined 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...
, under whose banner he stood unsuccessfully at the 1950 state election
Queensland state election, 1950
Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 29 April 1950 to elect the 75 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The Labor government was seeking its seventh continuous term in office since the 1932 election; it would be Premier Ned Hanlon second election.The Assembly had...
for the seat of Sandgate
Electoral district of Sandgate
The district of Sandgate is an electoral division in the state of Queensland, Australia.It is located in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, covering Sandgate, Shorncliffe, Deagon, Brighton, Bracken Ridge, Fitzgibbon, and Taigum...
against the Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
incumbent, Eric Decker. He achieved a 10% swing to win the seat at the 1953 state election
Queensland state election, 1953
Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 7 March 1953 to elect the 75 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The Labor government was seeking its eighth continuous term in office since the 1932 election...
, and held it in 1956.
Premier Vince Gair
Vince Gair
Vincent Clare "Vince" Gair was an Australian politician. He served as Premier of Queensland from 1952 until 1957, when his stormy relations with the trade union movement saw him expelled from the Australian Labor Party. He was elected to the Australian Senate and led the Democratic Labor Party...
was expelled from the Labor Party on 24 April 1957, and a number of mostly Catholic Labor MPs, including Robinson, joined him in forming a new Queensland Labor Party
Queensland Labor Party
The Queensland Labor Party was a political party of Queensland, Australia formed in 1957 by a breakaway group of the then ruling Australian Labor Party Government after the expulsion of Premier Vince Gair...
. He lost at the state election
Queensland state election, 1957
Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 3 August 1957 to elect the 75 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The major parties contesting the election were the Queensland Labor Party led by Premier Vince Gair, the Australian Labor Party led by former Deputy Premier John...
following.
After his defeat, he worked as a railways clerk in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
until his retirement in 1959. He died on 3 June 1969 in Greenslopes
Greenslopes, Queensland
Greenslopes is a moderately sized suburb of the city of Brisbane, state capital of Queensland, Australia."Greenslopes" is also the name of a Queensland state electorate. The electorate contains only a small fraction of the suburb of the same name...
at the Repatriation Hospital, and was buried and cremated at the Nudgee Catholic Cemetery.