George Reid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Sir George Reid GCB GCMG KC
Sir George Reid
4th Prime Minister of Australia
In office 18 August 1904 – 5 July 1905
Monarch	Edward VII
Governor-General	Lord Northcote
Preceded by	Chris Watson
Succeeded by	Alfred Deakin
Leader of the Opposition
In office 7 July 1905 – 16 November 1908
Preceded by	Chris Watson
Succeeded by	Joseph Cook
In office 19 May 1901 – 17 August 1904
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	Chris Watson
12th Premier of New South Wales
In office 3 August 1894 – 13 September 1899
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir Robert Duff Lord Hampden
Preceded by	George Dibbs
Succeeded by	William Lyne
Leader of the Free Trade Party
In office 18 November 1891 – 16 November 1908
Deputy	William McMillan Dugald Thomson Joseph Cook
Succeeded by	Joseph Cook
Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
In office 1 January 1910 – 1 January 1916
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	Andrew Fisher
Member of the UK Parliament for St George's, Hanover Square
In office 11 January 1916 – 12 September 1918
Preceded by	Sir Alexander Henderson
Succeeded by	Sir Newton Moore
Member of the Australian Parliament for East Sydney
In office 4 September 1903 – 24 December 1909
Succeeded by	John West
In office 29 March 1901 – 18 August 1903
Preceded by	Division created
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
In office 3 August 1894 – 30 March 1901
Preceded by	Constituency created
Succeeded by	Ernest Broughton
Constituency	Sydney-King
In office 10 November 1885 – 3 August 1894
Preceded by	George Griffiths
Succeeded by	District abolished
Constituency	East Sydney
In office 14 December 1880 – 17 January 1884
Preceded by	John Davies
Succeeded by	Sydney Burdekin
Constituency	East Sydney
Personal details
Born	(1845-02-25)25 February 1845 Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Died	12 September 1918(1918-09-12) (aged 73) London, England
Resting place	Putney Vale Cemetery 51°26′26″N 0°14′21″W / 51.440426°N 0.239237°W / 51.440426; -0.239237
Political party	None (before 1887) Free Trade (1887–1909) Liberal (1909–1910) Conservative (UK)
Spouses	Florence Brumby ​ ​ (m. 1891)​
Relations	Anne Fairbairn (granddaughter)
Children	3
Parents	Rev. John Reid; Marion Reid (née Crybbace)
Education	Scotch College
Profession	Civil servant, barrister, diplomat, politician
Signature

Sir George Houston Reid (25 February 1845 – 12 September 1918) was an Australian leader, lawyer, and diplomat. He served as the fourth Prime Minister of Australia from 1904 to 1905.

Reid was famous for his quick wit, clever speeches, and strong belief in free trade. Free trade is the idea that taxes on imported goods should be low or nonexistent.

Before leading Australia, he served as the Premier of New South Wales from 1894 to 1899. He also served as Australia's first High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Later in life, he even became a member of the British Parliament.

Early Life and Growing Up

Childhood in Scotland and Emigration

George Reid was born on 25 February 1845 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was the fifth child out of seven born to his parents, Marion and John Reid. His father was a dedicated minister in the Church of Scotland.

In 1845, the family moved to Liverpool, England. Times were tough for the family financially. Looking for better opportunities, his father decided to move everyone to Australia. They sailed across the ocean and arrived in Melbourne in May 1852.

School Years and Early Jobs

In Melbourne, young George attended the Melbourne Academy, which is known today as Scotch College. This was the only formal schooling he ever received. He studied classical subjects, though he admitted he did not enjoy studying difficult ancient languages like Greek.

When George was 13 years old in 1858, his family moved to Sydney. George left school and began working right away as a junior clerk in an office. Even as a teenager, he wanted to improve himself. At age 15, he joined a debating group at the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts to practice speaking in public.

Public Service and Legal Studies

Working as a Civil Servant

In 1864, Reid secured a job as a clerk in the New South Wales Treasury. He was hardworking and earned promotions quickly. In 1868, he became a correspondence clerk, and by 1874 he was the head clerk in the office.

By 1878, Reid had risen through the ranks to become the head of the Attorney-General's Department. While working, he wrote articles about government finances and defended the ideas of economic liberty and free trade.

Becoming a Barrister

In those days, members of parliament did not receive regular salaries. Reid knew that to enter politics, he needed a professional income to support himself. In 1876, he began studying law diligently.

Reid successfully qualified as a barrister (a courtroom lawyer) in 1879. He quickly became one of the most successful lawyers in Sydney. Juries loved listening to him speak, and he was known for his sharp questions during trials.

Early Political Career in New South Wales

Entering Parliament in 1880

Reid ran for public office in the 1880 New South Wales colonial election and won a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He represented the voting district of East Sydney.

His speeches were always lively, funny, and full of clever remarks. Crowd members loved coming to his public debates because he treated them like great entertainment while still talking about serious ideas.

Education Minister and Major Reforms

In January 1883, the Premier of New South Wales, Alexander Stuart, invited Reid to join the government. Reid chose to become the Minister of Public Instruction, which was in charge of schools.

During his 14 months in this role, Reid helped pass important education reforms:

• He established the first public high schools in key towns.
• He created technical schools to teach practical job skills.
• He set up evening classes at the university so working people could study.

Standing for Free Trade

Reid was a committed member of the Free Trade Party. He believed lower tariffs made everyday goods cheaper for regular families. However, he had disagreements with party leader Henry Parkes and chose to work independently on his own ideas for several years.

When members of parliament finally started receiving pay, Reid personally opposed using public money for politicians' wages. To prove his point, he handed his government paycheck back to the Treasury.

Premier of New South Wales

Sir George Reid during the 1890s

Winning the Election of 1894

In 1891, Reid was chosen as the new leader of the Free Trade Party. At the 1894 New South Wales colonial election, he led his party to a major victory. He became the Premier of New South Wales, leading the colonial government.

As Premier, Reid reformed how public money was managed. He introduced a new system of direct land and income taxes, which made taxation fairer while reducing taxes on trade.

Practical Government Reforms

During his five years as Premier, Reid achieved a remarkable amount of work:

• He reformed the civil service so jobs were based on ability rather than political friendships.
• He updated public health and hospital laws.
• He passed safety laws for workers in factories and coal mines.
• He improved laws managing public waterways and farmlands.

The Road to Federation

Reid at the 1898 Australasian Federal Convention

Creating an Australian Nation

In the 1890s, the six separate Australian colonies began talking seriously about uniting into a single country. In 1895, Reid invited the leaders of all the colonies to a meeting to restart the planning process.

They decided to hold constitutional conventions where elected leaders could meet and draft a rulebook for the new nation. Reid attended these meetings to make sure New South Wales got a fair deal.

The "Yes-No" Speech and Referendums

"The Yes-No Federationist" cartoon from 1898

In 1898, Reid gave a famous speech at the Sydney Town Hall regarding the proposed Australian Constitution. He spent hours carefully explaining the good parts and the bad parts of the draft document.

At the end of his speech, he said he would vote for it himself, but he told the voters to make up their own minds freely. Because he pointed out both sides so clearly, critics gave him the nickname "Yes-No Reid".

In the first public vote, the constitution did not get enough total votes in New South Wales. Reid negotiated with the other colonies to make several improvements. In the second vote in 1899, voters across New South Wales approved the plan.

Leader of the Opposition in Federal Parliament

Entering the First Federal Parliament

In 1901, the six colonies officially united into the Commonwealth of Australia. Reid ran in the 1901 Australian federal election and won the seat of East Sydney in the new federal parliament.

His Free Trade Party won 28 seats. Since the Protectionist Party and the Australian Labor Party worked together to form the government under Edmund Barton, Reid became Australia's very first Leader of the Opposition.

A Three-Sided Parliament

In the early years of federal parliament, three major political parties shared power:

• The Free Trade Party (led by George Reid)
• The Protectionist Party (led by Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin)
• The Australian Labor Party (led by Chris Watson)

Because no single party held a majority, Alfred Deakin famously compared parliament to a cricket match with "three teams on the field instead of two". This made governing difficult, and governments changed quickly.

Prime Minister of Australia

The Reid-McLean ministry in 1904

Forming a Government in 1904

In August 1904, the short-lived government of Labor leader Chris Watson ended. Governor-General Lord Northcote invited George Reid to form a new government.

Reid formed a partnership with moderate Protectionists led by Allan McLean. On 18 August 1904, Reid was officially sworn in as the fourth Prime Minister of Australia.

Key Actions as Prime Minister

Despite leading a minority government with a tight numbers game in parliament, Reid managed several important tasks:

• He helped pass the landmark Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904, which set up a national court to settle workplace disagreements peacefully.
• He updated national defense laws and created the Military Board.
• He set up a royal commission to study trade rules and find common ground on tariffs.
• He organized standard rules for the public service across the entire nation.

Leaving Office in 1905

In June 1905, Alfred Deakin decided that the Protectionists would withdraw their support from Reid's government. After a key parliamentary vote went against him, Reid stepped down on 5 July 1905, and Deakin returned as prime minister.

Later Years in Federal Politics

Leading the Anti-Socialist Campaign

After leaving the prime minister's office, Reid returned to being Opposition Leader. For the 1906 Australian federal election, he campaigned strongly against socialist policies, urging non-Labor groups to unite.

His efforts helped reshape Australian politics into a clearer two-sided system, creating a divide between the Labor Party and non-Labor political groups that continued for decades.

Retiring from Australian Parliament

In late 1908, Reid decided to retire as leader of his party. He chose to step aside so other leaders could finish joining the non-Labor parties together into the new Commonwealth Liberal Party. In December 1909, he officially resigned his seat in parliament.

Diplomat and Service in Britain

Sir George Reid during World War I

Sir George Reid's grave in London

Australia's First High Commissioner

In 1910, the Australian Government chose Reid to be Australia's first High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. This was the most important diplomatic post representing Australia in London.

Reid worked in London for six years. He was very popular in Britain because of his warm personality and great public speaking skills. He helped promote Australian businesses, encouraged migration, and helped arrange the building of Australia House in London.

Serving in the British Parliament

When his term as High Commissioner finished in 1916, Reid was elected to the British House of Commons as the member for St George's, Hanover Square.

He used his position in the British Parliament to speak up for Australia, Canada, and other British dominions during World War I.

Personal Life and Family

In 1891, George Reid married Florence Ann Brumby, who was from Tasmania. Together they had two sons and one daughter. Flora was a supportive partner throughout his long public career and was later honored for her community work.

Reid had a large frame, wore a monocle over one eye, and sported a bushy mustache. While political cartoonists often drew funny pictures of him, people who worked with him knew he was exceptionally clever and hardworking.

Reid passed away suddenly from a brain illness in London on 12 September 1918, at the age of 73. He was buried at Putney Vale Cemetery in London.

Legacy and Honors

Bust of George Reid in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens

Sir George Reid left a lasting mark on Australian history through his work in education, law, federation, and international diplomacy.

He received several major honors throughout his life:

• He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1904.
• He was knighted with the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1911 and the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1916.
• He was awarded an honorary law degree by the University of Oxford.
• The Canberra suburb of Reid was named in his memory.
• The federal electoral Division of Reid in Sydney was named in his honor in 1922.
• Australia Post honored him with a commemorative postage stamp in 1969.

Works

• The Australian Commonwealth and her relation to the British Empire (1912)

See also

In Spanish: George Reid para niños

• Reid Ministry