Thomas Playford II facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Thomas Playford
17th Premier of South Australia
In office 11 June 1887 (1887-06-11) – 27 June 1889 (1889-06-27)
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir William Robinson Earl of Kintore
Preceded by	John Downer
Succeeded by	John Cockburn
In office 19 August 1890 (1890-08-19) – 21 June 1892 (1892-06-21)
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Earl of Kintore
Preceded by	John Cockburn
Succeeded by	Frederick Holder
Leader of the Government in the Senate
In office 5 July 1905 – 31 December 1906
Preceded by	Josiah Symon
Succeeded by	Robert Best
In office 24 September 1903 – 27 April 1904
Preceded by	Richard O'Connor
Succeeded by	Gregor McGregor
Minister for Defence
In office 5 July 1905 – 24 January 1907
Prime Minister	Alfred Deakin
Preceded by	James Whiteside McCay
Succeeded by	Thomas Ewing
Senator for South Australia
In office 30 March 1901 – 31 December 1906
Leader of the Opposition in South Australia
In office 1889–1890
Preceded by	John Cockburn
Succeeded by	Frederick Holder
In office 1887–1887
Preceded by	Jenkin Coles
Succeeded by	John Downer
Personal details
Born	(1837-11-26)26 November 1837 Bethnal Green, London, England
Died	19 April 1915(1915-04-19) (aged 77) Kent Town, South Australia
Spouse	Mary Jane Kinsman ​ (m. 1860)​
Children	11
Relatives	Thomas Playford I (father), Thomas Playford IV (grandson), John Henry Sexton (son-in-law)

Thomas Playford (born 26 November 1837 – died 19 April 1915) was an important Australian politician. He served twice as the Premier of South Australia, which is like being the leader of the state government. He was Premier from 1887 to 1889 and again from 1890 to 1892. Later, he became a Senator for South Australia in the national parliament from 1901 to 1906. He also held a big job as the Minister for Defence from 1905 to 1907, looking after Australia's military.

Early Life and Moving to Australia

Thomas Playford was born in London, England, in 1837. When he was about seven years old, in 1844, his family moved to Adelaide, South Australia. His father was the Reverend Thomas Playford. Before he started his career in politics, Thomas Playford II worked as a farmer.

Thomas Playford's Time in South Australian Politics

Thomas Playford was first elected to the Parliament of South Australia in 1868. He represented the area called Onkaparinga. People often called him "Honest Tom" because he was very direct and always spoke his mind.

Sometimes, being so direct caused him trouble. For example, he once made a comment in parliament that some people didn't like. This led to him losing his seat in the 1871 election.

• Returning to Parliament: Playford returned to parliament in 1875, representing East Torrens.
• Crown Lands Commissioner: He worked as a Commissioner for Crown Lands and Immigration, helping to manage public land.
• Becoming Premier: Even after losing his seat again in 1887, he quickly won another one for Newcastle. By mid-1887, he became the Premier and Treasurer of South Australia. He held these roles for two years.
• First Major Achievement: During his first time as Premier, he created the first organized system for taxes on imported goods in South Australia. This was a very important step for the colony's economy.

He became Premier for a second time in 1890, again serving as both Premier and Treasurer. This term also lasted for two years. He was praised for greatly reducing the colony's debt, which meant the government owed less money. He spent a lot of this second term traveling in India.

• Working with Charles Kingston: In 1893, Charles Kingston became Premier with support from the Labor Party. Kingston asked Playford to be his Treasurer.
• Agent-General in London: In 1894, Playford moved to London to work as the Agent-General for South Australia. This job involved representing South Australia's interests in the United Kingdom.
• Return to Parliament: He returned to South Australia in 1898 and was elected to parliament again for Gumeracha.
• Bringing Down the Government: Later that year, he disagreed with Charles Kingston's government over a plan that might have weakened the power of the Legislative Council. Playford voted against his own government, which caused Kingston's government to fall.
• Helping to Create Australia: Thomas Playford was also involved in planning the Federation of Australia. This was the process of joining all the separate colonies into one country. He even suggested the name "Commonwealth of Australia" for the new nation.

Thomas Playford's Federal Politics Career

Playford, around 1901

After Australia became a federation, Playford was elected as a Senator for South Australia in the first national election in 1901. He was part of the Protectionist Party, which believed in protecting local industries.

• Leader in the Senate: In 1903, he became the Leader of the Government in the Senate for seven months under Prime Minister Alfred Deakin. This meant he was the main government spokesperson in the Senate.
• Minister for Defence: In 1905, he became the Minister for Defence, a role he held for 18 months.
• Election Defeat: He lost his Senate seat in the 1906 federal election. He was the first serving Minister to ever lose an election while in office. His time as a Senator ended on December 31, 1906.
• Later Attempts: Playford tried to get back into the Senate in 1910 but was not successful.

Death

Thomas Playford passed away in Kent Town, Adelaide, on April 19, 1915, at the age of 77.

Family Life

Thomas Playford married Mary Jane Kinsman in 1860. They had eleven children together: five sons, five daughters, and one adopted daughter.

• Notable Relatives:
  • His eldest daughter, Annie, married the Reverend John Henry Sexton.
  • His second daughter, Eliza, married Harry J. Tuck, whose sister was the famous painter Marie Tuck.
  • Thomas Playford's grandson, Sir Thomas Playford, also became a very long-serving Premier of South Australia.

Images for kids

• 

  Thomas Playford

• 

  Thomas Playford, c. 1901