William Barry (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
William Peter Barry was a Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for the Electoral district of Carlton from July 1932 until April 1955. Barry was a member of the Australian Labor Party
uhtil March 1955, when he became, with Leslie Coleman
in the Victorian Legislative Council
, joint leader of the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist)
, a party that was later to become the Democratic Labor Party
.
Barry was educated at St Brigid's School, North Fitzroy, Victoria and at St Georges School, Carlton, Victoria. He was a tobacco worker and union official before entering Parliament. He was considered close to John Wren
, the Victorian entrepreneur. The Communist Party
opposed Barry at parliamentary elections in the 1940s with some of its leading members, including Ralph Gibson and Dr Gerald O'Dea. Barry was Minister for Transport in the first Cain government
in 1943, Minister of Health, of Housing, and of Forests in the second Cain government
from 1945-1947, and Minister of Health in the third Cain government
from 1952-55. He was also a member of the Melbourne City Council from 1938-1955.
Barry was defeated at the election of 1955, His grandson, Peter Kavanagh
, was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council
for Western Victoria Region in 2006 representing the Democratic Labor Party
, but was defeated at the Victorian state election held in November 2010. Kavanagh was the first DLP candidate to be elected to the Victorian Parliament since 1955, when Frank Scully
won the Electoral district of Richmond.
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
for the Electoral district of Carlton from July 1932 until April 1955. Barry was a member 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...
uhtil March 1955, when he became, with Leslie Coleman
Leslie Coleman
Patrick Leslie Coleman , Australian politician, was a Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Melbourne West Province representing the Australian Labor Party from October 1943 until March 1955 and very briefly the Australian Labor Party from March-June 1955...
in the Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
, joint leader of the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist)
Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist)
The Australian Labor Party was the name initially used by the right-wing group which split away from the Australian Labor Party in 1955, and which later became the Democratic Labor Party in 1957....
, a party that was later to become the Democratic Labor Party
Democratic Labor Party (historical)
The Democratic Labor Party was an Australian political party that existed from 1955 until 1978.-History:The DLP was formed as a result of a split in the Australian Labor Party that began in 1954. The split was between the party's national leadership, under the then party leader Dr H.V...
.
Barry was educated at St Brigid's School, North Fitzroy, Victoria and at St Georges School, Carlton, Victoria. He was a tobacco worker and union official before entering Parliament. He was considered close to John Wren
John Wren
John Wren was an Australian businessman. He has become a legendary figure thanks mainly to a fictionalised account of his life in Frank Hardy's novel Power Without Glory, which was also made into a television series...
, the Victorian entrepreneur. The Communist Party
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
opposed Barry at parliamentary elections in the 1940s with some of its leading members, including Ralph Gibson and Dr Gerald O'Dea. Barry was Minister for Transport in the first Cain government
John Cain (senior)
John Cain was an Australian politician, who became the 34th premier of Victoria, and was the first Australian Labor Party leader to win a majority in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He was the only premier of Victoria whose son also served as premier.-Early life:Cain was born, one of 18...
in 1943, Minister of Health, of Housing, and of Forests in the second Cain government
John Cain (senior)
John Cain was an Australian politician, who became the 34th premier of Victoria, and was the first Australian Labor Party leader to win a majority in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He was the only premier of Victoria whose son also served as premier.-Early life:Cain was born, one of 18...
from 1945-1947, and Minister of Health in the third Cain government
John Cain (senior)
John Cain was an Australian politician, who became the 34th premier of Victoria, and was the first Australian Labor Party leader to win a majority in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He was the only premier of Victoria whose son also served as premier.-Early life:Cain was born, one of 18...
from 1952-55. He was also a member of the Melbourne City Council from 1938-1955.
Barry was defeated at the election of 1955, His grandson, Peter Kavanagh
Peter Kavanagh (Australian politician)
Peter Kavanagh , Australian politician, is a former member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing the Democratic Labor Party .Kavanagh was born into a family with a long connection with the DLP...
, was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
for Western Victoria Region in 2006 representing the Democratic Labor Party
Democratic Labor Party
The Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal...
, but was defeated at the Victorian state election held in November 2010. Kavanagh was the first DLP candidate to be elected to the Victorian Parliament since 1955, when Frank Scully
Frank Scully (politician)
Francis Raymond Scully , Australian politician, was a Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Richmond representing the Australian Labor Party from 1949-1955 and the Australian Labor Party from 1955-1958...
won the Electoral district of Richmond.