Alf Morgans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Alf Morgans
4th Premier of Western Australia
In office 21 November – 23 December 1901
Monarch	Edward VII
Governor	Sir Arthur Lawley
Preceded by	George Leake
Succeeded by	George Leake
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia
In office 4 May 1897 – 28 June 1904
Preceded by	None (new creation)
Succeeded by	Henry Ellis
Constituency	Coolgardie
Personal details
Born	(1850-02-17)17 February 1850 Machen, Monmouthshire, Wales
Died	10 August 1933(1933-08-10) (aged 83) South Perth, Western Australia

Alfred Edward Morgans (born February 17, 1850 – died August 10, 1933) was an important figure in Western Australian history. He was the fourth Premier of Western Australia, which is like being the leader of the state government. He served for a very short time, just over a month, in late 1901.

Born in Wales, Alf Morgans first trained as an engineer. He worked on mining projects in many places, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Central America. He moved to Western Australia in 1896 during the exciting gold rush. There, he helped develop the Mount Morgans Gold Mine.

In 1897, Morgans was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia. This is the state's parliament. He represented the Coolgardie area. In 1901, he became Premier as a compromise choice. However, his government lasted only 32 days. After this, he left parliament in 1904. His time in politics was quite short, lasting just over seven years.

Early Life and Engineering Career

Growing Up in Wales

Alf Morgans was born in a place called Machen in Wales on February 17, 1850. He went to private schools when he was young. Later, he studied at the Welsh School of Mines. After his studies, he became an apprentice at an engineering company. This means he learned the job by working with experienced engineers.

On March 19, 1872, he married Fanny Ridler in England.

Working as an Engineer Overseas

In 1878, Morgans' company sent him to Mexico. His job was to oversee their gold and silver mines there. He spent about 18 years working in Central America. During this time, he helped manage British investments in mines and railways. He worked a lot in countries like Guatemala and Nicaragua.

While working there, he became very good at speaking Spanish. He also became interested in ancient cultures. He studied the Aztecs and Mayans. He even sent some old artifacts from these cultures to museums in Britain.

Coming to Western Australia

Alf Morgans arrived in Albany, Western Australia in 1896. He came from London on a ship called the Himalaya. He was representing a group of investors. These investors wanted to find good mining opportunities in Western Australia.

He bought many properties and mining interests across the state. One important place he helped develop was the Mount Morgans Gold Mine. People thought he was an expert on mining investments.

Alf Morgans' Political Journey

Joining Parliament

On May 4, 1897, Alf Morgans was elected to the Legislative Assembly. This is where laws are made for Western Australia. He represented the Coolgardie area.

In parliament, he supported the Premier at the time, Sir John Forrest. After Sir John Forrest left state politics, his supporters continued to work together. They were known as the 'ministerialists'.

Becoming Premier

In November 1901, the ministerialists voted against the current Premier, George Leake. They won the vote, which meant George Leake had to resign. However, the ministerialists could not agree on who should be the next Premier. The governor asked another person, Frederick Henry Piesse, to form a government. But he couldn't get enough support either.

Eventually, the ministerialists decided on Alf Morgans as a compromise. This meant he was a choice that most people could agree on. So, on November 21, 1901, he became Premier. He also took on the role of Colonial Treasurer, managing the state's money. This was a big step, as he had never been a minister before.

A Very Short Term

After Morgans became Premier, new elections were held for some ministerial positions. These are called by-elections. Supporters of George Leake ran against Morgans' new team. Three of Morgans' six new ministers lost their seats.

Because of this, Morgans asked the Governor, Governor Lawley, to dissolve the Assembly. This would mean holding a new general election for all members. But the Governor said no.

So, Alf Morgans resigned as Premier on December 23, 1901. His time as Premier lasted only 32 days. George Leake then became Premier again, this time with clear support. Morgans did not run for election again after his term ended in 1904.

Life After Politics

After leaving politics, Alf Morgans took on several important roles. He became a consul for different countries in Western Australia. A consul represents their country's interests in another country.

From 1910 to 1917, he was the Austro-Hungarian Consul for Western Australia. In 1915, he also served as the Vice-Consul for Spain. In 1921, he became the Consular Agent for the United States of America in Perth and Fremantle. He held this position until 1930, when he resigned due to poor health.

Alf Morgans passed away on August 10, 1933, in South Perth, Western Australia.