Lee Batchelor
Encyclopedia
Egerton Lee Batchelor, known as Lee Batchelor, (10 April 1865 – 8 October 1911), Australian politician, was the 2nd leader of the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party
, a member of the First Australian Parliament, and the first member for the Federal Division of Boothby
in South Australia, from 1903 to 1911. He was also the first federal politician to be given responsibility for the Northern Territory
after it was ceded to the Government of Australia
by South Australia.
, South Australia in 1865 and after the early death of his photographer father he and his two brothers were raised by his mother. He was educated at the North Adelaide Model School and worked there as a pupil-teacher when he was 12. He also worked at the North Adelaide Church of Christ secondary school, but became an apprentice engine-fitter in the government engineering plant in the Adelaide suburb of Islington at 17.
in 1892 and secretary in 1893. In 1890 he married Rosina Mooney. In 1891, Batchelor was a prominent founding member of the United Labor Party (ULP), the South Australian division of the Australian Labor Party
. He was the ULP secretary from 1892 to 1896, and was president in 1898.
on behalf of the ULP in 1893. He gained widespread support from the electorate, and was elected at the top of the poll, becoming one of ten of the first Labor Members of Parliament in South Australia, after John McPherson, the first ULP leader, was elected to East Adelaide in a 1892 by-election
. Batchelor also defeated a sitting minister in his seat, and outpolled Charles Kingston
, a later Premier of South Australia. When McPherson died in 1897, Batchelor became Labor leader, with the party continuing to support the Kingston government. Thomas Price
succeeded Batchelor as Labor leader in 1899 after the 1899 election
.
Following the fall of the Kingston ministry in December 1899 and the brief premiership of Vaiben Solomon
, Batchelor was invited to join Frederick Holder
's government as the Minister for Education and Agriculture. Although the Labor Party pledge of 1899 refused the right of members to join a non-Labor administration, caucus released Batchelor from this constraint: Holder's was essentially the old Kingston ministry with which Labor had associated closely. Batchelor resigned from caucus and from the leadership and became the first Labor member in Australia to join a non-Labor ministry, with the party's unanimous approval.
He retired from the South Australian parliament in 1901, and stood for election to the Parliament of Australia
in the first Australian election. Batchelor, along with Holder, was elected to the Australian House of Representatives
as one of the seven Members for South Australia. He was the only Labor member from South Australia. After South Australia was divided into electoral divisions for the 1903 election to which Batchelor was assigned Hindmarsh
. Batchelor however unselfishly gave up this seat for one of his state MPs, instead deciding to contest the seat of Boothby
, one which a former premier was assigned to. The voters of Boothby rewarded this selflessness with his election.
In 1904, Batchelor was the Minister for Home Affairs
in the government of Chris Watson
. From 1908 to 1909, and again from 1910 to 1911, Batchelor was the Minister for External Affairs
under the governments of Andrew Fisher
. Batchelor attended the 1911 Imperial Conference along with Fisher, as the leading spokesperson on trade and foreign policy matters.
When the Northern Territory was transferred to the control of the Commonwealth in January 1911, Batchelor was the first minister to be given the responsibility of overseeing the administration of the territory. During this time he worked to create reserves for the Indigenous peoples of the Northern Territory.
Batchelor collapsed and died from a heart attack when climbing Mount Donna Buang
. He was the first serving Minister who was also a member of the parliament to die in office (Sir James Dickson
, Minister for Defence, died in January 1901 but he was not a member of parliament). Shortly after his death, in 1912, the town of Batchelor, Northern Territory
(which is about 98 kilometres south of Darwin
) was named after him.
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...
, a member of the First Australian Parliament, and the first member for the Federal Division of Boothby
Division of Boothby
The Division of Boothby is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. The division was created in 1903 and is named after William Boothby , the Returning Officer for the first election of Members of the House of Representatives in 1901....
in South Australia, from 1903 to 1911. He was also the first federal politician to be given responsibility for the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
after it was ceded to the Government of Australia
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...
by South Australia.
Early life
Lee Batchelor was born in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia in 1865 and after the early death of his photographer father he and his two brothers were raised by his mother. He was educated at the North Adelaide Model School and worked there as a pupil-teacher when he was 12. He also worked at the North Adelaide Church of Christ secondary school, but became an apprentice engine-fitter in the government engineering plant in the Adelaide suburb of Islington at 17.
Trade union career
Batchelor soon became active in the labour movement and joined the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (Adelaide) in 1882 and was its president four times between 1889 and 1898. He was also president of the Railway Service Mutual Association. He was elected treasurer of the Trades and Labor CouncilUnited Trades and Labour Council of South Australia
The United Trades and Labour Council of South Australia, also known as SA Unions, is a representative body of trade union organisations, known as a Labour council, in the State of South Australia...
in 1892 and secretary in 1893. In 1890 he married Rosina Mooney. In 1891, Batchelor was a prominent founding member of the United Labor Party (ULP), the South Australian division 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...
. He was the ULP secretary from 1892 to 1896, and was president in 1898.
State
Batchelor was nominated for election to the South Australian House of AssemblySouth Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
on behalf of the ULP in 1893. He gained widespread support from the electorate, and was elected at the top of the poll, becoming one of ten of the first Labor Members of Parliament in South Australia, after John McPherson, the first ULP leader, was elected to East Adelaide in a 1892 by-election
East Adelaide by-election, 1892
A by-election was held for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of East Adelaide on 23 January 1892. This was triggered by the resignation of the progressive former Premier and state MHA John Cox Bray.-Results:...
. Batchelor also defeated a sitting minister in his seat, and outpolled Charles Kingston
Charles Kingston
Charles Cameron Kingston, Australian politician, was an early liberal Premier of South Australia serving from 1893 to 1899 with the support of Labor led by John McPherson from 1893 and Lee Batchelor from 1897 in the House of Assembly, winning the 1893, 1896, and 1899 state elections against the...
, a later Premier of South Australia. When McPherson died in 1897, Batchelor became Labor leader, with the party continuing to support the Kingston government. Thomas Price
Thomas Price
Thomas Price was a stonecutter, teacher, lay preacher, businessman, stonemason, clerk-of-works, union secretary, union president and politician...
succeeded Batchelor as Labor leader in 1899 after the 1899 election
South Australian state election, 1899
State elections were held in Australia on 29 April 1899. All 54 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent liberal government led by Premier of South Australia Charles Kingston in an informal coalition United Labor Party led by Lee Batchelor defeated the...
.
Following the fall of the Kingston ministry in December 1899 and the brief premiership of Vaiben Solomon
Vaiben Solomon
Vaiben Louis Solomon was the 21st Premier of South Australia and a member of the first Australian Commonwealth parliament....
, Batchelor was invited to join Frederick Holder
Frederick Holder
Sir Frederick William Holder KCMG was the 19th Premier of South Australia and a prominent member of the inaugural Australian Commonwealth Parliament, including the first Speaker of the House of Representatives.-Life:...
's government as the Minister for Education and Agriculture. Although the Labor Party pledge of 1899 refused the right of members to join a non-Labor administration, caucus released Batchelor from this constraint: Holder's was essentially the old Kingston ministry with which Labor had associated closely. Batchelor resigned from caucus and from the leadership and became the first Labor member in Australia to join a non-Labor ministry, with the party's unanimous approval.
Federal
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
in the first Australian election. Batchelor, along with Holder, was elected to the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
as one of the seven Members for South Australia. He was the only Labor member from South Australia. After South Australia was divided into electoral divisions for the 1903 election to which Batchelor was assigned Hindmarsh
Division of Hindmarsh
The Division of Hindmarsh is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia covering the western gulfside suburbs of Adelaide.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir John Hindmarsh, who was Governor of South Australia 1836-38. For many years it was one of the safest Labor seats...
. Batchelor however unselfishly gave up this seat for one of his state MPs, instead deciding to contest the seat of Boothby
Division of Boothby
The Division of Boothby is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. The division was created in 1903 and is named after William Boothby , the Returning Officer for the first election of Members of the House of Representatives in 1901....
, one which a former premier was assigned to. The voters of Boothby rewarded this selflessness with his election.
In 1904, Batchelor was the Minister for Home Affairs
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
in the government of Chris Watson
Chris Watson
John Christian Watson , commonly known as Chris Watson, Australian politician, was the third Prime Minister of Australia...
. From 1908 to 1909, and again from 1910 to 1911, Batchelor was the Minister for External Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In common with international practice, the office is often informally referred to as Foreign Minister...
under the governments of Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher was an Australian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister on three separate occasions. Fisher's 1910-13 Labor ministry completed a vast legislative programme which made him, along with Protectionist Alfred Deakin, the founder of the statutory structure of the new nation...
. Batchelor attended the 1911 Imperial Conference along with Fisher, as the leading spokesperson on trade and foreign policy matters.
When the Northern Territory was transferred to the control of the Commonwealth in January 1911, Batchelor was the first minister to be given the responsibility of overseeing the administration of the territory. During this time he worked to create reserves for the Indigenous peoples of the Northern Territory.
Batchelor collapsed and died from a heart attack when climbing Mount Donna Buang
Mount Donna Buang
Located approximately 80 km from Melbourne, Mount Donna Buang in Victoria, Australia, at is the closest snowfield to Melbourne.In winter, it usually receives snow suitable for snowplay and tobogganing, and during the non winter months the area is well visited by bushwalkers...
. He was the first serving Minister who was also a member of the parliament to die in office (Sir James Dickson
James Dickson
Sir James Robert Dickson, KCMG was an Australian politician and businessman, the 13th Premier of Queensland and a member of the first federal ministry....
, Minister for Defence, died in January 1901 but he was not a member of parliament). Shortly after his death, in 1912, the town of Batchelor, Northern Territory
Batchelor, Northern Territory
Batchelor is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. The town is located in the Coomalie Shire Local Government Area, 98 kilometres south of the territory capital, Darwin...
(which is about 98 kilometres south of Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
) was named after him.