George Elmslie (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable George Elmslie
25th Premier of Victoria Elections: 1914, 1917
In office 9 December 1913 – 22 December 1913
Monarch	George V
Preceded by	William Watt
Succeeded by	William Watt
Leader of the Opposition of Victoria
In office 22 December 1913 – 11 May 1918
Premier	William Watt Sir Alexander Peacock John Bowser Harry Lawson
Preceded by	William Watt
Succeeded by	George Prendergast
In office 17 September 1913 – 9 December 1913
Premier	William Watt
Preceded by	George Prendergast
Succeeded by	William Watt
Leader of the Labor Party in Victoria
In office 17 September 1913 – 11 May 1918
Deputy	John Billson
Preceded by	George Prendergast
Succeeded by	George Prendergast
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Albert Park
In office 1 October 1902 – 11 May 1918
Preceded by	John White
Succeeded by	Joseph Hannan
Personal details
Born	George Alexander Elmslie 21 February 1861 Lethbridge, Victoria, British Empire
Died	11 May 1918(1918-05-11) (aged 57) Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Spouse	Clara Ellen Williams (m. 1887)
Children	2
Profession	Stonemason

George Alexander Elmslie (born 21 February 1861 – died 11 May 1918) was an Australian politician. He made history as the 25th and shortest-serving Premier of Victoria. He was also the very first Premier from the Labor Party in Victoria.

Early Life and Work

George Elmslie was born in Lethbridge, a town near Geelong, in 1861. Even though he went to high school, he chose to follow in his father's footsteps and became a stonemason. A stonemason is someone who cuts and shapes stone for buildings.

Building Famous Landmarks

George worked on some important buildings in Melbourne. These included the first Wilson Hall at Melbourne University and St Patrick's Cathedral. From 1888, he became an official for the Operative Stonemason's Society. This was a group that supported stonemasons. He also represented them at the Melbourne Trades Hall, a place where different worker groups met.

Involvement in Sports

Beyond his work, George was also the President of the South Melbourne Football Club. This club is now known as the Sydney Swans, a famous Australian Rules Football team.

Political Journey

In 1898, George Elmslie helped start the Victorian Labour Federation. This group wanted to unite all workers into one big union.

Joining Parliament

In 1902, he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly. This is like the state parliament in Victoria. He represented the area of Albert Park as a Labor Party member. At that time, the Labor Party in Victoria was not as strong as in other Australian states. This was partly because many voters liked the ideas of another politician, Alfred Deakin. Also, Victoria didn't have as many large farming or mining areas, which often had strong Labor support.

Becoming a Leader

The Labor Party in the Victorian Parliament was quite small. George Elmslie became the deputy leader of the party in 1912. The next year, in 1913, he became the leader.

A Short Time as Premier

In 1911, the Labor Party only won 20 seats, while the Liberal Party won 43. But in December 1913, the Liberal Premier, William Watt, resigned. This happened after he had an argument with a group from his own party.

The acting Governor, Sir John Madden, surprised many people. He asked George Elmslie to form a new government. So, on 9 December 1913, George Elmslie became Victoria's first Labor Premier.

The Shortest Premiership

George Elmslie's time as Premier was very short. Back then, if a politician became a minister, they had to resign their seat and run in a special election again. This meant George couldn't sit in Parliament as Premier right away.

The different groups within the Liberal Party quickly joined forces again. William Watt then proposed a no-confidence motion against Elmslie. This is a vote to show that Parliament no longer supports the Premier. George Elmslie had to watch this vote from the gallery, as he wasn't officially a member of Parliament at that moment.

As expected, Elmslie's government was voted out. William Watt became Premier again on 22 December. George Elmslie's time as Premier lasted only 13 days, making it the shortest in Victoria's history.

Later Years and Legacy

George Elmslie remained the leader of the Labor Party until just before he passed away in 1918. His health had become poor in 1916, and he needed a long rest.

During World War I, George supported the Allied countries. However, he was against conscription, which meant forcing people to join the army to fight overseas. He died at his home in Albert Park and was given a state funeral, a special ceremony for important public figures.

For many years, George Elmslie was largely forgotten. But in the 1990s, a group called the Labor Historical Graves Committee found his grave. It was in the Melbourne General Cemetery and had been neglected. A new memorial headstone was placed on his grave. It was unveiled by Steve Bracks, who was the Labor Premier of Victoria at the time, on 9 March 2001.