SIR EDMUND BARTON
G'day folks,
Sir Edmund Barton, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician and
judge. He served as the first Prime Minister of Australia from 1901 to
1903 and became a founding justice of the High Court of Australia.
Prime Minister from 1 January 1901 to 24 September 1903
Barton
was certainly qualified for his new job. He'd been a member of the New South
Wales parliament for 20 years, and had served terms as Speaker of its
Legislative Assembly, Attorney-General and Leader of the Opposition.
Barton
had worked on Federation for 10 years, and became Australia's first Prime Minister
because the supporters of Federation trusted him.
Beginnings
Edmund
Barton was born in Glebe, New South Wales, on 18 January 1849. He was one of
nine children of William Barton and Mary Louise Whydah, English immigrants who
arrived in Australia in 1824. William was a secretary and accountant for an
agricultural company, and later became a stockbroker. Mary ran a school for
girls.
Barton
attended Fort Street School from 1856 to 1858 and then went to Sydney Grammar.
He went on to the University of Sydney, from which he graduated with a BA in
1868 and an MA in 1870. He became a barrister in 1871 and set up a successful
legal practice. He joined the Sydney Mechanics Institute to learn the art of
debating. He married Jane (Jeanie) Mason Ross in 1877, and they had six
children.
Barton
entered New South Wales colonial politics in 1877, standing unsuccessfully as a
candidate for the University seat in the Legislative Assembly, but winning the
seat in 1879. He switched to the Wellington seat in 1880, then in 1882 to East
Sydney, which he held until 1887.
He was an
appointed member of the Legislative Council from 1887 to 1891, then regained
East Sydney in 1891, held it until 1894 and then lost it again. He became a
member of the Legislative Council again from 1897 to 1898, and was then
re-elected to the Legislative Assembly for Hastings-Macleay, which he
represented from 1897 to 1899.
He held
various positions while a member of colonial parliament, including Speaker of
the Legislative Assembly 1883-87, Attorney-General 1889 and 1891-93, and Leader
of the Opposition from 1898 to 1899.
Barton
attended the Federal Convention in Sydney in March 1891 as a delegate for New
South Wales and was a member of the constitution committee. The idea for a
convention had sprung from a speech given at Tenterfield, New South Wales, on
24 October 1889 by Henry Parkes, the 'Father of Federation'. Parkes had called
for a strong central federal parliament. The premiers' meeting in Melbourne in
February 1890 discussed Parkes' proposals, and agreed to call a Federal
Convention the following year.
At the
first Federal Convention in March 1891, 46 delegates from all six Australian
colonies and New Zealand met in Sydney and produced a draft Constitution Bill.
When
Parkes lost government in October 1891 he asked Barton, by now a convinced
federalist, to take over the leadership of the federal movement. Barton worked
tirelessly to promote Federation through the formation of local branches of the
Australasian Federal Leagues. From 1893 to 1897 he addressed 300 meetings in
New South Wales.
In
January 1895 the premiers met in Hobart. They agreed that enabling Acts should
be passed in colonial parliaments to allow for popular election of delegates,
and for a referendum to approve a draft Constitution. Barton topped the New
South Wales poll to elect delegates to the second Federal Convention, gaining
75 per cent of the total votes.
When the
second Federal Convention began meeting in March 1897, it appointed Barton
'Leader of the Convention', chairman of the constitutional committee and
chairman of the drafting sub-committee.
Barton
and his supporters conducted a vigorous pro-Federation campaign preceding the
June 1898 referendum on Federation. The Constitution was accepted by the
required majority in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, but not in New
South Wales.
At the
New South Wales election in July 1898, dominated by the Federation issue,
Barton won the seat of Hastings-Macleay and thus returned to the Legislative
Assembly. In September 1898 he replaced the anti-federationist, William Lyne,
as opposition leader.
The
Premier, George Houston Reid, and Barton worked together to promote the federal
cause to the New South Wales electorate. From April to July 1899, a second
referendum on Federation was conducted in New South Wales, South Australia,
Tasmania and Victoria, each of which accepted an amended Constitution by a
larger majority than in June 1898. On 2 September that year, Queensland, voting
for the first time, approved the Bill.
Barton
led the Australian delegation to London in early 1900 to negotiate amendments
to the Constitution Bill which the UK government wanted, and to oversee the
safe passage of the Bill through the UK parliament.
On 9 July
1900 Queen Victoria gave Royal Assent to the Act to constitute the Commonwealth
of Australia. On 18 July 1900 Lord Hopetoun, former governor of Victoria
(1889-95), was named as inaugural Governor-General of Australia.
Lord
Hopetoun arrived in Australia on 15 December 1900, and on 19 December he
commissioned New South Wales Premier, William Lyne, to form a federal ministry.
His reason for choosing Lyne was his position as the Premier of a 'senior'
colony. Lyne, however, was a strong opponent of Federation and no leading
federationist would join a government he led. Lyne then advised Hopetoun to
commission Barton, who formed the ministry. The ministry (including Lyne in the
Home Affairs portfolio) was announced on 30 December.
Prime Minister Edmund Barton
Governor-General
Lord Hopetoun commissioned Barton as Australia's first Prime Minister on 31
December 1900.
On
Tuesday 1 January 1901 Lord Hopetoun proclaimed the Commonwealth of Australia
as a federation of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland,
Tasmania and Western Australia (these former colonies are now called states),
and swore in Barton's ministry at a huge public Commonwealth inauguration
ceremony in Centennial Park, Sydney. A choir of 10,000 sang Advance,
Australia Fair, which in 1977 became our national anthem.
Barton
gained electoral confirmation of his appointment as Prime Minister when his
Protectionists won more seats than either of the other main groupings, Free
Traders and Labor, at the first general election on 29-30 March 1901. Barton
won the seat of Hunter, New South Wales, and became Minister for External
Affairs as well as Prime Minister.
On 9 May
1901 the Duke of York (later King George V) opened the Commonwealth parliament
in the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, which became the interim capital. (Federal
parliament subsequently met in Victoria's state parliament house.) FW Holder,
former Premier of South Australia, was elected the first Speaker of the House
of Representatives.
Following
a competition for the design of a national flag, for which 32,823 entries were
submitted, a flag including elements from the five winning entries was chosen.
It was flown officially as the Australian flag for the first time, over the
Exhibition Building in Melbourne, on 3 September 1901.
The first
budget was presented to federal parliament by the Treasurer, George Turner, on
8 October 1901.
Among the
first Acts of Barton's government in 1901 was legislation to restrict
immigration, thus instituting the 'White Australia Policy'.
The Commonwealth
Franchise Act 1902 established uniform federal franchise. This gave the
vote to adult British subjects resident in Australia for at least six months,
but excluded Aborigines, Africans and Asians.
The
Judiciary Act of Australia became law on 25 August 1903, providing for the
establishment of the High Court of Australia.
Barton
remained Prime Minister for two years and ten months.
Beyond politics
Barton
resigned as Prime Minister on 24 September 1903 to become a foundation member
of the newly established High Court of Australia, becoming one of two judges
serving with the inaugural Chief Justice SW Griffith.
Barton
served on the High Court for over 16 years, until his death on 7 January 1920
at Medlow Bath, New South Wales.
Legislation
The
legislative task of the first parliament was to establish a Commonwealth
administration. Parliament passed 59 of the 84 bills introduced by the Barton
government, including 21 money (appropriation and supply) bills. Other
important legislation included:
The Acts
Interpretation Act 1901 which was the first bill setting out the standards
and conventions for drafting subsequent bills.
The Audit
Act 1901 provided for supervision of government spending and reporting to
parliament.
The Customs
Act 1901 and Excise Act 1901 which were revenue raising Acts.
The Judiciary
Act 1903 to set up the High Court.
The Defence
Act 1903 to establish control of military and naval forces.
The Immigration
Restriction Act 1901 to implement the 'White Australia Policy'.
Clancy's comment: Another interesting man. Sadly, many Australian kids, and adults, would not know who he was and what he did.
I'm ...
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