Thomas Price (19 January 1852 – 31 May 1909) served as the South Australian United Labor Party's first Premier of South Australia. He formed a minority government at the 1905 election and was re-elected with increased representation at the 1906 election, serving in the premiership until his death in 1909.[1] It was the world's first stable Labor government. Shortly afterwards, John Verran led Labor to form the state's first of many majority governments at the 1910 election.
Thomas Price | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Premier of South Australia | |
| In office 26 July 1905 – 31 May 1909 | |
| Monarch | Edward VII |
| Governor | Sir George Le Hunte Sir Day Bosanquet |
| Preceded by | Richard Butler |
| Succeeded by | Archibald Peake |
| Leader of the Opposition in South Australia | |
| In office 15 July 1904 – 26 July 1905 | |
| Preceded by | John Darling |
| Succeeded by | Richard Butler |
| Leader of the United Labor Party | |
| In office 12 December 1899 – 31 May 1909 | |
| Preceded by | Lee Batchelor |
| Succeeded by | John Verran |
| Member of the South Australian House of Assembly | |
| In office 21 April 1887 – 31 May 1909 | |
| Preceded by | Josiah Symon |
| Succeeded by | George Dankel |
| Constituency | Sturt (1887–1902) Torrens (1902–1909) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Price 19 January 1852 Brymbo, Wales, United Kingdom |
| Died | 31 May 1909 (aged 57) Mount Lofty, South Australia |
| Political party | United Labor Party |
Achievements of the Price government included free state secondary schools, the formation of wages boards and a minimum wage, establishing the Municipal Tramways Trust through nationalisation, the costly administration of the Northern Territory was surrendered to the Federal government, and reform (though limited) of the upper house. The government also attained successive budget surpluses and reduced the accumulated public debt.
Early life
editTom Price was born in Brymbo, Denbighshire, Wales in 1852 to John and Jane Price. His family moved to Liverpool in 1853 where Tom grew up.[2] Tom Price emigrated to South Australia with his family in 1883.[3] He was a stonecutter, teacher, lay preacher, businessman, stonemason and clerk-of-works. As a stonemason, Price helped to build the Parliament House of South Australia, a building he would later serve in as an elected politician.[2][3]
Political career
edit
Price quickly became involved in trade union activity, and was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly for Sturt in April 1893,[4][1] becoming Labor leader in 1899. He contested the single statewide Division of South Australia at the 1901 federal election as the second of two Labor candidates behind Lee Batchelor. The seat elected seven members, Price finished eighth with a 38.2 percent vote.
World-first stable Labor government 1905−1909
edit
Price came to power at the 1905 state election in a minority government, the Price-Peake administration, after increasing his party's representation from five to 15 in the 42-member lower house, with a primary vote of 41.3 percent, an increase of 22.2 percent. With the support of eight liberals headed by Archibald Peake, Price forced conservative Premier Richard Butler to resign. Price retained the premiership at the 1906 double dissolution election with an additional five Labor seats in the House of Assembly, just two short of a parliamentary majority in their own right, with a primary vote of 44.8 percent, an increase of 3.5 percent. It was the world's first stable Labor government, and was so successful that, following the 1910 election, Labor, led by John Verran, formed the first of the state's many majority governments. On Price's death in 1909, Peake formed a minority government until 1910.
Price introduced many reforms, including free state secondary schools, the formation of wages boards, the institution of a minimum wage, and the establishment of the Municipal Tramways Trust through nationalisation. The costly administration of the Northern Territory was surrendered to the Federal government, and there was limited reform of the Legislative Council. Price obtained a double dissolution on the issue of the reform of the upper house. Nevertheless, the Council continued to be intransigent regarding its reform, and Price accepted its compromise proposal of a £17 householder franchise. Labor's left wing criticised him for the concession.
The Price Government enacted a number of laws relating to social matters: the suppression of brothels and gaming, the control and care of drunkards, and the consolidation of legislation on the supply of alcohol and local option in liquor licensing.[2] The government also achieved successive budget surpluses and reduced the accumulated public debt.[5]
Legacy
edit
Price suffered from diabetes but died from tuberculosis of the throat[6] or lungs[3] at Mount Lofty on 31 May 1909. He was given a State funeral and buried at Mitcham Cemetery.
An island of the Whidby Group off the south-west coast of Eyre Peninsula had been left unnamed after Matthew Flinders' early explorations. It was named Price Island by the Government of South Australia in his honour. A guiding light for mariners was also erected on the island.[7]
In 2015 a biography of Thomas Price was published and the book launch was attended by South Australian politicians from both sides of politics.[3] At the launch, Premier Jay Weatherill labelled Price "a Labor hero".[3]
In 2019, one hundred and ten years after Price's death, a plaque was officially placed at Brownhill Creek Recreation Park in his honour.[8]
Personal life
editPrice married Anne Elizabeth Lloyd (c.1860 – 1 September 1950) on 14 April 1881 at St David's Welsh Church of England in Liverpool.[2] Anne played an active role in Price's election campaigns[9] She was a member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union for many years.[9] After Price's death, Anne was one of four women appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1915, the first in Australia.[10] She considered her duties as a JP an important privilege.[9] She was invited to sit on the Bench, in an unofficial capacity, at the local court by the commissioner James George Russell, and she was the first woman to do so.[9] Due to an accident while on a trip to Britain, Anne withdrew from taking an active part in public life in 1925.[9]
Price and Ann had seven children.
- John Lloyd Price (14 February 1882 – 23 April 1941) MHA for Port Adelaide 1915–1925 and MHR.[2]
- Edward Hugh Price (1884–1954), engineer with the Harbors Board
- Walter Davies Price MC (24 March 1886 – 29 July 1944) distinguished soldier and public servant.
- (Thomas) Arthur Price (1888–1942), a railways employee,[11]
- Annie Mary "Ann" Price (1890–1985), married Ernest A. Pengelley in 1914 in Brisbane.[12]
- Ada Olive "Olive" Price (1891-1952) married Horace Wicks in 1915.[13]
- Florence Gwendoline "Flo" Price (1894–1957) married Alfred Charles Clarke in 1920.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b "Mr Tom Price". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Weekes, Steven. "Thomas (Tom) Price (1852–1909)". Price, Thomas (Tom) (1852–1909). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ a b c d e Sexton, Mike (25 February 2015). "Tom Price biography: Book launch for first SA Labor premier brings together all sides of politics". ABC News. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ "Statistical Record of the Legislature 1836 to 2009" (PDF). Parliament of South Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- ^ "Peake, Archibald Henry (1859–1920)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "Death of the Hon. T. Price". The Border Watch. Vol. XLIX, no. 4729. South Australia. 2 June 1909. p. 3. Retrieved 23 July 2019 – via Trove.
- ^ "Islands of the West Coast." The Register, South Australia (1925-09-02). Retrieved 2014-02-16.
- ^ "First SA Labor premier Tom Price honoured". Canberra Times. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "WOMEN JUSTICES". News. Adelaide, South Australia: National Library of Australia. 19 January 1928. p. 8. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Women Justices". The Barrier Miner. Vol. XXVIII, no. 8388. New South Wales, Australia. 7 July 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 27 August 2016 – via Trove.
- ^ "A Rail Car Mishap". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 25 October 1924. p. 13. Retrieved 27 August 2016 – via Trove.
- ^ "Family Notices". Express and Telegraph. National Library of Australia. 12 May 1914. p. 1. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Family Notices". Advertiser. National Library of Australia. 27 September 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Family Notices". Express and Telegraph. National Library of Australia. 19 April 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 29 March 2024.