Alexander Peacock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Alexander Peacock
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| 20th Premier of Victoria | |
| In office 12 February 1901 – 10 June 1902 |
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| Constituency | Clunes and Allandale |
| Preceded by | George Turner |
| Succeeded by | William Irvine |
| In office 18 June 1914 – 29 November 1917 |
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| Preceded by | William Watt |
| Succeeded by | John Bowser |
| Constituency | Allandale |
| In office 28 April 1924 – 18 July 1924 |
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| Preceded by | Harry Lawson |
| Succeeded by | George Prendergast |
| Constituency | Allandale |
| 15th Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 4 July 1928 – 7 October 1933 |
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| Preceded by | Oswald Snowball |
| Succeeded by | Maurice Blackburn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 June 1861 Creswick, Victoria, British Empire |
| Died | 7 October 1933 (aged 72) Creswick, Victoria, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse | Millie Gertrude Holden |
Sir Alexander James Peacock (born 11 June 1861 – died 7 October 1933) was an important Australian politician. He served three times as the Premier of Victoria, which is like being the leader of the state government. He was known for his friendly personality and loud laugh.
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Growing Up in Victoria
Alexander Peacock was born in Creswick, Victoria, Australia. His family came from Scotland and Ireland. He was the first Premier of Victoria to be born after the big gold rush of the 1850s.
He went to school in Creswick. He even worked as a pupil-teacher, which meant he taught classes during the day and studied at night. His family faced money problems, so he couldn't go to Melbourne University. Instead, he worked long hours in a grocery store. This experience made him want to fight for fair working conditions.
Starting His Career
Even without a university degree, Alexander did very well. He started as a clerk in a legal office that dealt with mining. After a few years, he opened his own business. He helped manage the legal side of some of Victoria's richest gold-mining companies. He stayed in this business for most of his life.
He was also a big part of the Australian Natives' Association. This group helped push for Australia to become one country. People found him easy to like. He was described as tall, friendly, and very popular.
Joining Parliament
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In 1889, Alexander Peacock was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly. This is the main law-making body for Victoria. He represented the area of Clunes and Allendale for 43 years.
He held many important jobs in government. He was a minister in different governments, including Minister for Public Instruction (education) and Minister for Labour. This meant he helped make decisions about schools and workers' rights.
In 1897, he was chosen to help write the Australian Constitution. This document set up how Australia would be governed as a new nation.
First Time as Premier
In 1901, Alexander Peacock became the Premier of Victoria for the first time. This happened when the previous Premier, George Turner, left to join the new federal parliament.
At this time, many people wanted the government to spend less money. Alexander Peacock, as a liberal, didn't agree with cutting services. In 1902, his government lost a vote and he had to resign. He was given a special honour, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.
He later returned to government in other roles. The political groups in Victoria started to change. The old "liberal" and "conservative" groups began to form the Liberal Party to stand against the growing Labor Party.
Second Time as Premier
In June 1914, Alexander Peacock became Premier again. He also became the Treasurer, managing the state's money. Soon after, World War I began. His government supported Australia's involvement in the war.
As the war continued, it put a lot of pressure on Victoria's economy. There weren't enough workers, especially in farming. This led to more opposition from farmers. In 1917, his party, now called the Nationalist Party, split. He lost the election and John Bowser became Premier.
However, Alexander Peacock was a very strong politician. By 1920, he was back in government. He served as Minister for Public Instruction and Minister for Labour again.
Third Time as Premier
In March 1924, Alexander Peacock was chosen to be Premier for a third time. This happened after the previous government broke down. He tried to change how country areas were represented in parliament. But there was disagreement within his own party.
He called an election, and the Labor Party won the most seats, but not enough to form a government on their own. Alexander Peacock resigned, and a Labor government took over.
He continued to serve in government as a minister until 1927. In 1928, he was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. This meant he was in charge of running the meetings in parliament. He held this important job until he passed away in 1933.
Millie, Lady Peacock
In 1901, Alexander Peacock married Millie Gertrude Holden. Millie, Lady Peacock was very involved in community groups like the Red Cross. She also helped her husband a lot with his work in his local area. People even called her 'the deputy member for Allandale'.
After Alexander Peacock died in 1933, Lady Peacock was asked to run for his seat in parliament. She became the first woman to be a member of the Victorian parliament. She gave one speech, talking about her husband's work for workers' wages. She then decided to retire before the next election.
Australian Natives' Association
Alexander Peacock joined the Australian Natives' Association (ANA) in 1881. He quickly became a leader in the group. He was the Chief President three times. He helped the ANA grow and become more involved in public life, especially in supporting the idea of Australian Federation.
His strong role in the ANA helped his political career. The ANA was not a political party, but its members often supported Liberal politicians. Alexander Peacock learned his ideas about "advanced Liberalism" from the ANA. This included believing in full democracy, like giving women the right to vote, and the government helping people.
Freemasonry
Alexander Peacock was also a leader in the Freemasons in Victoria. He was the Grand Master from 1900 to 1905. At 39 years old, he was the youngest person ever to hold this high position in Australian Freemasonry. He stepped down because of his busy work in parliament.
