Ernest Roberts (Australian politician)

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The Honourable
Ernest Roberts
black and white portrait of Roberts in a suit
Roberts in c. 1908
Member of the Australian House of Representatives for Adelaide
In office
13 June 1908 – 2 December 1913
Preceded byCharles Kingston
Succeeded byGeorge Edwin Yates
Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Adelaide
In office
27 May 1905 – 15 May 1908
Preceded byBill Denny
Succeeded byEdward Alfred Anstey
Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Gladstone
In office
25 April 1896 – 3 May 1902
Preceded byJames Henderson Howe
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Personal details
Born(1868-02-21)21 February 1868
London, England
Died2 December 1913(1913-12-02) (aged 45)
Melbourne, Australia
NationalityBritish-Australian
Political partyLabor
Spouse
Bridget Marie Collins
​
​
(m. 1892)​
Children4
OccupationWharf labourer, journalist, politician
Military service
AllegianceBritish/Australian
Service/branch4th Imperial Bushmen's Contingent
2nd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse
Years of service1900–1902
RankCaptain

Ernest Alfred Roberts (21 February 1868 – 2 December 1913) was an Australian politician and soldier who was a

United Labor Party
(ULP).

Born in London and schooled on the island of

crossed the floor and contributed to the defeat of the ministry of Charles Kingston
, attracting sharp criticism from some parts of the ULP.

In 1900, Roberts served in the Second Boer War in South Africa as a

South Australian School of Mines
and a board member of the Adelaide Co-operative Society.

When

House of Representatives, and also while Pearce was overseas in 1911, and was appointed as an honorary minister later that year. He retained his seat at the 1913 federal election, but soon after a fierce parliamentary debate on 2 December 1913 he collapsed and died from a heart condition. He received a state funeral attended by 6,000 people. The loss of Roberts – considered a highly capable and up-and-coming member of the ULP – was felt intensely by his political comrades, along with his fire, energy and enthusiasm. In 1917 a monument was erected over his grave at West Terrace Cemetery in Adelaide, which The Advertiser
newspaper described as "emblematic of the untimely end to [his] brilliant career".

Early life

Ernest Alfred Roberts was born in London on 21 February 1868, the son of John Henry Roberts and his wife Sarah Ann

Port Pirie, South Australia, where he obtained work as a wharf labourer. Described in his entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography as "[a] radical with exceptional abilities as an orator and organi[s]er",[1] Roberts was closely involved in the formation of a local workingmen's association, becoming its inaugural secretary. He also assisted in the establishment and management of a local cooperative bakery in Port Pirie, and was a member of the town council in the early 1890s. On 27 August 1892, Roberts married Bridget Marie Collins, with whom he had a son and three daughters.[1]

Early political career

In the

United Labor Party (ULP) candidate, and was successful, coming second with 30.8 per cent of the votes, after the incumbent independent Alfred Catt.[3][4]

At 28, Roberts was the youngest member of the assembly, but he quickly became well-known for his advocacy for the early closing of factories to reduce working hours, and for improved working conditions for sailors. A local weekly magazine,

crossed the floor of the assembly, causing Kingston's ministry to fall by one vote.[7]

Roberts was sharply criticised for his part in bringing down the Kingston ministry, including at a meeting of the Labor Regulation League, which almost unanimously passed a motion stating that the action of Roberts and Poynton in crossing the floor was "an act of political treachery".[9] The attacks on Roberts continued, the editor of The Herald, the trade union–run weekly magazine, joining the trenchant criticism and rejecting Roberts' explanations that he had not been a member of the Parliamentary Labor Party at the time of the vote and had not attended the relevant caucus meeting, and was not pledged to maintain solidarity with Labor.[10] Roberts later justified his actions on the basis that the Kingston government was insincere and not likely to carry out the reforms it had promised.[11][12]

Soldier and journalist

Although Roberts initially opposed the sending of South Australian colonial troops to the

Port Elizabeth in the Cape Colony on 19 June. Upon arrival, the South Australian and Western Australian contingents were joined with a Tasmanian squadron to form an Australian mounted regiment of about 400 troops, under Rowell's command.[14]

a black and white group portrait of twelve men in uniform
Group portrait of members of the 4th Imperial Bushmen's Contingent from South Australia prior to embarking for South Africa

Soon after its arrival, the regiment escorted a convoy from

Major General Arthur Paget for operations against the Boer commandoes led by Christiaan de Wet between Lindley and Bethlehem, also located in the Orange Free State.[15][16] This larger force was also subjected to frequent sniping by the Boers. As the force approached Bakenkop hill on 3 July, the Boers held their ground instead of withdrawing, and Brookfield used the guns to disperse them. To conserve ammunition, Brookfield ordered the guns to cease fire, but about 100 Boers took advantage of the situation, crept through a cornfield and rushed some guns. In response, an artillery officer called upon the commander of the South Australian squadron to charge the guns and recapture them. Without waiting for the rest of the squadron, a dozen men led by Lieutenant Edwin Leane responded immediately and charged. The Boers fled, the guns being recaptured by the squadron. On 4 July Brookfield's force captured a ridge that dominated Bethlehem.[15][17]

Bethlehem was captured on 7 July, in which 300 South Australians and Western Australians of the regiment participated,

Brigadier General Robert George Broadwood. Engagements followed at Palmietfontein on 16 July and Stinkhoutboom on 24 July.[15] In the latter action, the regiment and some irregulars caught up with some flour-laden wagons of de Wet's rearguard and the Boers struck back to protect the precious supplies, killing four Australians. The Boers were able to break contact and continue their retreat. Under Broadwood's command the regiment continued to pursue de Wet into the Transvaal, but by that point half of the South Australians were on foot, as their horses had died. The pursuit was called off.[18] This period included operations through Oliphant's Nek and the Magaliesberg Range, as well as the involvement of the regiment in the relief of the garrison at Elands River.[15][19]

On 29 November, the regiment was involved in fighting at Rhenoster Kop under Paget, and was then attached to the command of Colonel Herbert Plumer. In December, given his view that the fighting was almost over, Roberts obtained permission from the British commander-in-chief to return home to his parliamentary and civic duties.[20] He embarked on the cargo liner Aberdeen at Cape Town on 7 December,[21] and arrived in Adelaide via Melbourne on 5 January 1901.[20] The rest of the contingent embarked on 5 July 1901, came ashore at Port Adelaide on 27 July, and was disbanded shortly thereafter. For his service with the 4th Imperial Bushmen's Contingent, Roberts was issued with the Queen's South Africa Medal with four clasps.[15]

Roberts returned to his seat in the assembly, but then helped organise a further South Australian contingent for the Second Boer War, a company of the 2nd Battalion,

Victorian contingent of the battalion joined with the company Roberts had helped raise from South Australia, and a smaller contingent from Western Australia, to form the battalion,[24] which was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Duncan McLeish.[25]

The battalion was sent by rail to a camp at

Mafeking railway line, and the commander-in-chief of British forces, Lord Kitchener, telegraphed his appreciation to Hamilton for the efforts of his troops.[23] Across the five days of the drive, only one Boer was killed, and no Australians were even wounded.[30]

The battalion returned to Klerksdorp on 21 May, and after peace was concluded on 31 May, remained there until 20 June.[25] Hamilton congratulated the Australians for playing a "distinguished part in the closing act of the war".[31] The battalion then rode to Elandsfontein, arrived there on 25 June, handed over their weapons and equipment, and entrained for Newcastle on 29 June, arriving there the following day. On 5 July, the battalion entrained for Durban, and embarked on the transport Norfolk the next day. The ship departed on 8 July, arrived at Albany, Western Australia, on 25 July and Adelaide five days later. The troops were paid off and discharged on the day of their return. Roberts did not receive any additional medal or clasps for his service with the 2nd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse.[25]

While he was away in South Africa, Roberts' term in the assembly expired,[4] and he did not contest a seat at the 1902 South Australian state election on 3 May,[32] the seat of Gladstone having been abolished in a redistribution.[33] From 1904 to 1908 Roberts edited The Herald.[1]

Later political career

black and white right-face portrait of a man with bushy hair and moustache in formal attire
Roberts in 1905

Roberts was a candidate for the four-member seat of

South Australian School of Mines and a board member of the Adelaide Co-operative Society.[1] On 5 September 1907, the Hundred of Roberts – a constituent division of the County of Jervois land administration unit – was proclaimed in honour of Roberts.[39]

When the incumbent member for the

second Fisher Ministry.[42] He retained his seat at the 1913 federal election of 31 May, increasing his share of the votes to 66.1 per cent.[43]

Death and legacy

Minutes after speaking in a fiery debate at Parliament in Melbourne on 2 December 1913, Roberts collapsed and died.[1][44] He reportedly struck his head on the base of a stone statue of Queen Victoria when he collapsed.[45] He had suffered from a heart condition for a long time. He was survived by his wife and four children. His wife Bridget formed the first Labor women's branch in South Australia at Prospect in 1913. Roberts was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery after a state funeral attended by around 6,000 people.[1]

On 13 January 1917, a monument erected over his grave was unveiled. It consists of a broken column of white Angaston marble, which was "emblematic of the untimely end to the brilliant career of the deceased legislator".[46] The unveiling was attended by the premier, Crawford Vaughan, the speaker of the House of Assembly, Frederick Coneybeer, the state secretary of the ULP, and federal and state legislators. At the base of the monument was the inscription "He died at his post." The monument was paid for by subscriptions received by the Labor Regulation League at their meetings, and was draped with the Union Jack and Australian flag before being unveiled by Roberts' successor in the federal seat of Adelaide, George Edwin Yates.[46]

According to his entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography written by City of Adelaide archivist Robert Thornton, despite Roberts' almost diminutive stature, he was a fiery, energetic and enthusiastic man who rarely missed a day in parliament. Although he confided in private that he suffered an "unconquerable inward nervousness",[1] Roberts was outstanding in parliamentary debates, highly skilled at quick and witty responses, and expressed himself readily and at length. The quality of his parliamentary speeches was comparable to those of his contemporary Billy Hughes. At the time of his death, Roberts was widely considered one of Labor's most capable members, was continuing to develop his political skills, and his premature death was much mourned within Labor. The Bulletin – an influential weekly magazine – observed that Labor had lost "one of the pluckiest men" it had ever known.[1]

Roberts' memorial
  • Ernest Alfred Roberts' memorial at West Terrace Cemetery in 2022
    Ernest Alfred Roberts' memorial at West Terrace Cemetery in 2022
  • Close-up of the inscription on Roberts' memorial
    Close-up of the inscription on Roberts' memorial

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Thornton 1988.
  2. ^ Jaensch 2007, p. 119.
  3. ^ Jaensch 2007, p. 131.
  4. ^ a b Parliament of South Australia 2022.
  5. ^ The Evening Journal 9 September 1897.
  6. ^ Jaensch 2007, p. 142.
  7. ^ a b c d Playford 1983.
  8. ^ The Adelaide Observer 5 August 1899.
  9. ^ The Herald 9 December 1899.
  10. ^ The Herald 23 December 1899.
  11. ^ a b Port Pirie Recorder and North Western Mail 11 April 1900.
  12. ^ a b c Port Pirie Recorder and North Western Mail 14 April 1900.
  13. ^ The Adelaide Observer 14 October 1899.
  14. ^ Murray 1911, p. 356.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Murray 1911, p. 357.
  16. ^ Wilcox 2002, p. 113.
  17. ^ a b Wilcox 2002, p. 114.
  18. ^ Wilcox 2002, pp. 115–116.
  19. ^ Wilcox 2002, p. 127.
  20. ^ a b The Adelaide Observer 12 January 1901.
  21. ^ Port Pirie Recorder and North Western Mail 12 December 1900.
  22. ^ Murray 1911, p. 379.
  23. ^ a b c d Murray 1911, pp. 308–309.
  24. ^ Murray 1911, p. 307.
  25. ^ a b c Murray 1911, p. 309.
  26. ^ Wilcox 2002, pp. 336–337.
  27. ^ Murray 1911, p. 308.
  28. ^ Wilcox 2002, p. 338.
  29. ^ a b Wilcox 2002, p. 339.
  30. ^ Wilcox 2002, p. 340.
  31. ^ Wilcox 2002, p. 341.
  32. ^ Jaensch 2007, pp. 155–165.
  33. ^ Jaensch 2007, p. 8.
  34. ^ Jaensch 2007, p. 167.
  35. ^ Jaensch 2007, p. 175.
  36. ^ The Daily Herald 11 December 1915.
  37. ^ Jaensch 2007, p. 176.
  38. ^ Jaensch 2007, pp. 175 & 187.
  39. ^ Manning 2012, p. 23.
  40. ^ McMullin 1991, p. ix.
  41. ^ Carr 2022a.
  42. ^ a b Carr 2022b.
  43. ^ Carr 2022c.
  44. ^ Parliamentary Handbook 2007.
  45. ^ Souter 1988, p. 132.
  46. ^ a b The Advertiser 15 January 1917.

References

South Australian House of Assembly
Preceded by Member for Gladstone
1896–1902
Served alongside: Alfred Catt 		Seat abolished
Preceded by Member for Adelaide
1905–1906
Served alongside:
William David Ponder
Lewis Cohen
James Zimri Sellar 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member for Adelaide
1906–1908
Served alongside:
Bill Denny
William David Ponder
James Zimri Sellar/Reginald Blundell 		Succeeded by
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Adelaide
1908–1913 		Succeeded by
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