John Earle (Australian politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Earle
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| 22nd Premier of Tasmania | |
| In office 20 October 1909 – 27 October 1909 |
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| Preceded by | Elliott Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Elliott Lewis |
| In office 6 April 1914 – 15 April 1916 |
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| Preceded by | Albert Solomon |
| Succeeded by | Walter Lee |
| Senator for Tasmania | |
| In office 1 March 1917 – 30 June 1923 |
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| Preceded by | Rudolph Ready |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 November 1865 Bridgewater, Tasmania |
| Died | 6 February 1932 (aged 66) Kettering, Tasmania, Australia |
| Political party | Labor (1903–1916) Nationalist (1916–1928) Independent (1928–1932) |
John Earle (born 15 November 1865 – died 6 February 1932) was an important Australian politician. He served as the Premier of Tasmania, which is like the leader of the state government, from 1914 to 1916. He also held this role for a very short time in October 1909. Later, he became a Senator for Tasmania in Australia's national parliament, from 1917 to 1923.
Before he entered politics, John Earle worked as a miner and searched for valuable minerals. He started his political journey with the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and helped create a local branch of the party. He was the first ALP Premier of Tasmania. However, he later left the party during a big disagreement in 1916 and joined the Nationalists. He then represented them in the Senate.
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Early Life and Work
John Earle was born on 15 November 1865 in Bridgewater, Tasmania. His mother was of Irish background and his father was of Cornish background. He grew up on his father's farm and went to the local school.
When he was 14, he started training as a blacksmith in Hobart. He also took classes in engineering and science at the Hobart Technical School. He attended talks at the Hobart Mechanics' Institute, which made him interested in politics. He was part of the Hobart Debating Club and met important people, like the colony's attorney-general, Andrew Inglis Clark.
After finishing his training, Earle worked in mines in places like Mathinna, Zeehan, and Corinna. In 1893, he spoke for miners at a government meeting in Hobart. He returned to Zeehan in 1898 and became well-known in the area. He served on the local council, on the hospital board, and led a miners' association group. He was even put on a list of people who couldn't get jobs at a certain mining company because they thought he was "disloyal."
In 1901, John Earle led a meeting that started the Workers' Political League (WPL). This group later became the modern Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch). He was chosen as the first president of this organization in 1903.
Political Career
State Politics in Tasmania
John Earle first tried to get elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly (Tasmania's main parliament) in 1903 but lost by only three votes. He tried again in 1906 and won, becoming the leader of the Labor Party in parliament.
In 1909, he was elected to a larger area called Franklin. He became the Leader of the Opposition (the main person speaking against the government). Then, on 20 October 1909, he formed a minority government for just one week. This meant his party didn't have enough votes on its own, so they needed support from other politicians. He was the very first premier of Tasmania from the Labor Party.
In 1914, Earle and the Labor Party formed another minority government. This happened after the previous government lost a vote of no confidence. Besides being Premier, he also made himself the attorney-general (the state's chief legal officer). His government relied on the vote of one independent politician.
During his time as Premier, his government achieved several important things. They expanded public high school education and took control of the Waddamana hydroelectricity scheme, which produced electricity from water. They also created Tasmania's first national parks: Mount Field and Freycinet. In 1914, he arranged for a lot of wheat to be brought in to help with a drought. He also invested in public works projects to help people who lost their jobs because of World War I. In the early years of the war, he encouraged unemployed people to join the military.
After the Labor Party lost the election in 1916, Earle went back to being Leader of the Opposition. He believed the Labor Party should focus on "true progressive liberalism" rather than socialism. Some of his ideas, like supporting overseas conscription (forcing people to join the army to fight overseas), made some members of his party unhappy. In November 1916, during a big split in the Labor Party over conscription, he announced he was leaving the party. He said that "extremists" and "disloyal men" had taken control of the party. Many people thought he was going to be kicked out anyway.
Federal Politics in Australia
In March 1917, John Earle joined the Nationalist Party of Australia. He was then chosen by the Parliament of Tasmania to fill an empty spot in the Australian Senate (Australia's national parliament). He kept his seat in the 1917 election.
From December 1921 to February 1923, he held a senior role in the government as Vice-President of the Executive Council under Prime Minister Hughes. He lost his Senate seat in the election held in December 1922. He tried again in 1925 as a Nationalist candidate but was not successful. In 1928, he ran as an independent candidate in Franklin but lost again.
Death
John Earle passed away in Kettering, Tasmania, on 6 February 1932. He had a wife but no children. His cousin, Alicia O'Shea Petersen, later became a well-known supporter of women's right to vote.
Legacy
In 2009, the Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd briefly mentioned the 100-year anniversary of John Earle forming Tasmania's first Labor government.
