John Fegan
Encyclopedia
John Lionel Fegan was an Australia
n politician.
Fegan was born in Chelmsford
, Essex
, England
and worked as a coalminer in Northern Wales
and Lancashire
from the age of 16. He married Ann Saggerson in February 1883 and they had one daughter and one son, but he abandoned them in 1896 to travel to New South Wales
. He worked as a miner in the Newcastle
area and settled in Wickham
. He was employed as a check inspector at Bullock Island (Carrington
) colliery and became a union delegate.
He was one of the Australian Labor Party
's first members of parliament, elected in 1891 to represent the seat of Newcastle
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
. He refused to swear Labor's pledge of solidarity and in 1894 won Wickham as independent labor. He chaired a select committee on working of collieries in 1894 and served on the royal commission on city railway extension in 1897. Along with Labor, he supported George Reid
's Free Trade
government from 1894, but moved the motion in 1899, that brought it down.
Fegan became secretary for mines and agriculture in William Lyne
's Protectionist
government between September 1899 and April 1901. In April 1901, he resigned his portfolio to take up Lyne's offer for him to become undersecretary in his federal
home affairs department, but opposition in federal cabinet and from Reid prevented him taking up this appointment. He served as minister without portfolio in the See
's government from March 1903 to June 1904. He was minister of public instruction and for labour and industry from June to August 1904 in Waddell
's government. In 1901, he joined the Progressive Party
and in 1907, joined the Commonwealth Liberal Party
, but was defeated for re-election by the Labor candidate, William Calman Grahame
. He failed at several later election attempts, but with the introduction of proportional representation
in 1920, he was elected as the only Nationalist
representative along with four Labor members for Newcastle. Even with the advantage of proportional representation, he failed to be elected in 1922 and 1925.
Fegan was a councillor on Wickham Municipal Council from 1917 until his death, and mayor in 1924 and 1931. He was a member of the Newcastle Board of Health from 1909 to 1932. In October 1897, he had married Edith Louisa Edwards, but they had no children. His son David from his first marriage joined him and was killed at Gallipoli
. He died at home in Wickham and was survived by his daughter and his wife.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician.
Fegan was born in Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and worked as a coalminer in Northern Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
from the age of 16. He married Ann Saggerson in February 1883 and they had one daughter and one son, but he abandoned them in 1896 to travel to 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...
. He worked as a miner in the Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
area and settled in Wickham
Wickham, New South Wales
Wickham is an inner suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district.-Origin:Wickham which was a Misspelling of Whickham, a suburb of Newcastle-on-Tyne in the north of England. Means village by the creek...
. He was employed as a check inspector at Bullock Island (Carrington
Carrington, New South Wales
Carrington is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia and is named after Lord Carrington, governor of N.S.W. in 1887 when the area was proclaimed a municipality.-Origins:...
) colliery and became a union delegate.
He was one of 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...
's first members of parliament, elected in 1891 to represent the seat of Newcastle
Electoral district of Newcastle
Newcastle is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales named after and including Newcastle. It is represented by Tim Owen of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
in 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...
. He refused to swear Labor's pledge of solidarity and in 1894 won Wickham as independent labor. He chaired a select committee on working of collieries in 1894 and served on the royal commission on city railway extension in 1897. Along with Labor, he supported George Reid
George Reid (Australian politician)
Sir George Houstoun Reid, GCB, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales and the fourth Prime Minister of Australia....
's Free Trade
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
government from 1894, but moved the motion in 1899, that brought it down.
Fegan became secretary for mines and agriculture in William Lyne
William Lyne
Sir William John Lyne KCMG , Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales and a member of the first federal ministry.-Early life:...
's Protectionist
Protectionist Party
The Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in...
government between September 1899 and April 1901. In April 1901, he resigned his portfolio to take up Lyne's offer for him to become undersecretary in his federal
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
home affairs department, but opposition in federal cabinet and from Reid prevented him taking up this appointment. He served as minister without portfolio in the See
John See
Sir John See, KCMG was a member of the New South Wales Legislature from 26 November 1880 to 15 June 1901, and was then Premier of New South Wales from 1901 to 1904....
's government from March 1903 to June 1904. He was minister of public instruction and for labour and industry from June to August 1904 in Waddell
Thomas Waddell
Thomas Waddell , an Australian politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1887 to 1917, was briefly the Premier of New South Wales during 1904, and was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1917 to 1934.-Early life:He was born in County Monaghan,...
's government. In 1901, he joined the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (Australia)
The Progressive Party was an Australian political party, active in New South Wales state politics. The question of tariff policy which, had created and divided the Free Trade Party and Protectionist Party in New South Wales in the 1890s, became a federal issue at the time of federation...
and in 1907, joined the Commonwealth Liberal Party
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
, but was defeated for re-election by the Labor candidate, William Calman Grahame
William Calman Grahame
William Calman Grahame, known as W. C. Grahame, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing Wickham from 1907 to 1920, and the first mayor of the City of Gosford, from 1936 to 1944. Central Coast Stadium in Gosford was formerly known as Grahame Park, named after him in...
. He failed at several later election attempts, but with the introduction of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
in 1920, he was elected as the only Nationalist
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
representative along with four Labor members for Newcastle. Even with the advantage of proportional representation, he failed to be elected in 1922 and 1925.
Fegan was a councillor on Wickham Municipal Council from 1917 until his death, and mayor in 1924 and 1931. He was a member of the Newcastle Board of Health from 1909 to 1932. In October 1897, he had married Edith Louisa Edwards, but they had no children. His son David from his first marriage joined him and was killed at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
. He died at home in Wickham and was survived by his daughter and his wife.