Walter Skelton
Encyclopedia
Walter Peden Joyce Skelton MBE (28 March 1883 – 21 May 1979) was an Australia
n politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
.
Skelton was born in Boggabri, New South Wales
, ninth child of a railway fettler, educated at Boggabri Public School and brought up as a strict Protestant. In 1898 he joined New South Wales Government Railways
and in October 1904 he married Annie Porter Gray and they had a son and four daughters. He became a stationmaster in 1908 and worked at Matong
, Jerilderie
, Boggabri
, Carrathool
and Cockle Creek
. His wife died in 1912 and he married Alexie Muriel Stewart in 1916 and they had three daughters and three sons.
Skelton and fellow members of the New South Wales Protestant Federation reacted strongly to the alleged kidnapping of an "escaped" nun Sister Mary Liguori in Sydney
in 1921 and Skelton created the Protestant Independent Labour Party. In 1922, he topped the poll for the five-member seat of Newcastle
. In parliament, he campaigned for free education, prohibition by referendum and the interests of railway workers. He was re-elected in 1925, but with the abolition of proportional representation
in 1927, he failed to win election in the single-member electorates of Wallsend
in 1927, Hamilton in 1928 and the federal
seat of Newcastle
in 1928 and 1931.
Skelton helped to establish the National Union of Railwaymen of New South Wales, a union drawing together rail workers expelled from the Australian Railways Union
for strike-breaking during the 1917 rail strike. He died in the Sydney suburb of Greenwich
, survived by his wife and their three sons and three daughters and two daughters from his first marriage.
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, elected as a member of 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...
.
Skelton was born in Boggabri, New South Wales
Boggabri, New South Wales
Boggabri is a small town on the Kamilaroi Highway in north-western New South Wales, Australia in Narrabri Shire, between Gunnedah and Narrabri. In 2006, the town had a population of 901 people....
, ninth child of a railway fettler, educated at Boggabri Public School and brought up as a strict Protestant. In 1898 he joined New South Wales Government Railways
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
and in October 1904 he married Annie Porter Gray and they had a son and four daughters. He became a stationmaster in 1908 and worked at Matong
Matong, New South Wales
Matong is a town in the central east part of the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is east from Narrandera and west from Coolamon. At the 2006 census, Matong had a population of 194 people.-Notes and references:...
, Jerilderie
Jerilderie, New South Wales
Jerilderie is a town of 768 people in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the only town in the Jerilderie Shire Local Government Area....
, Boggabri
Boggabri, New South Wales
Boggabri is a small town on the Kamilaroi Highway in north-western New South Wales, Australia in Narrabri Shire, between Gunnedah and Narrabri. In 2006, the town had a population of 901 people....
, Carrathool
Carrathool, New South Wales
Carrathool is a village in the western Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, located in the Carrathool Shire. In 2006, Carrathool had a population of 325 people. It is about north of the Sturt Highway between Darlington Point and Hay...
and Cockle Creek
Cockle Creek railway station, New South Wales
-Transport links:Newcastle Buses runs one route via Cockle Creek railway station:*Route 363 - Between Belmont and Newcastle Station.Toronto Bus Services runs two routes via Cockle Creek railway station:*Route 270 - Between Industries and Toronto West....
. His wife died in 1912 and he married Alexie Muriel Stewart in 1916 and they had three daughters and three sons.
Skelton and fellow members of the New South Wales Protestant Federation reacted strongly to the alleged kidnapping of an "escaped" nun Sister Mary Liguori in 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...
in 1921 and Skelton created the Protestant Independent Labour Party. In 1922, he topped the poll for the five-member 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 parliament, he campaigned for free education, prohibition by referendum and the interests of railway workers. He was re-elected in 1925, but with the abolition 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 1927, he failed to win election in the single-member electorates of Wallsend
Electoral district of Wallsend
Wallsend is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. Wallsend is a Newcastle suburban electorate, deriving its name from the suburb of the same name, covering 118.57 km² and encompassing at least part of the suburbs of Wallsend, Edgeworth,...
in 1927, Hamilton in 1928 and the federal
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....
seat of Newcastle
Division of Newcastle
The Division of Newcastle is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. The Division is centred around the city of Newcastle, after which it is named....
in 1928 and 1931.
Skelton helped to establish the National Union of Railwaymen of New South Wales, a union drawing together rail workers expelled from the Australian Railways Union
Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union
The Australian Rail Tram & Bus Industry Union , formerly known as the Public Transport Union or PTU, was formed on 1 March 1993, through the amalgamation of the Australian Railways Union, the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen, the Australian Tramway & Motor Omnibus Employees'...
for strike-breaking during the 1917 rail strike. He died in the Sydney suburb of Greenwich
Greenwich, New South Wales
Greenwich is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Greenwich is located 7 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Lane Cove.The suburb occupies a peninsula on the northern...
, survived by his wife and their three sons and three daughters and two daughters from his first marriage.