Frank Tudor
Robert Best | |
---|---|
Member of the Australian Parliament for Yarra | |
In office 30 March 1901 – 10 January 1922 | |
Preceded by | Seat created |
Succeeded by | James Scullin |
Personal details | |
Born | Victoria Colony, British Empire | 29 January 1866
Died | 10 January 1922 (age 55) Richmond, Victoria, Australia |
Political party | Labor |
Spouses | Alice Smale
(m. 1894; wid. 1894)Fanny Mead
(m. 1897) |
Children | 6 |
Education | Richmond Central State School |
Signature | |
Francis Gwynne Tudor (29 January 1866 – 10 January 1922) was an Australian politician who served as the leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1916 until his death. He had previously been a government minister under Andrew Fisher and Billy Hughes.
Tudor was born in Melbourne to Welsh immigrant parents. He left school at a young age to enter the workforce, serving an apprenticeship in the felt hat industry and later studying his trade for periods in England and the United States. He became involved in trade unionism in England, and after returning to Australia served as president of the Felt Hatters' Union. Tudor was elected president of the Victorian Trades Hall Council in 1900. The following year, he was elected to the new federal parliament as a representative of the Labor Party. He was chosen as the parliamentary party's first whip, and held that position until entering cabinet in 1908.
Tudor served as
Early life
Tudor was born to John Llewellyn Tudor, a ballastman, and Ellen Charlotte Tudor, née Burt, both of Welsh origin, on 29 January 1866 at Williamstown, Victoria. However, the family soon moved to the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, where Tudor lived most of his life.[1]
Upon leaving Richmond Central State School, and after short spells in a sawmill and a boot factory, Tudor entered the felt hat industry. Tudor apprenticed in Abbotsford and then travelled across Victoria in the hat trade. Tudor went to England, working in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester, marrying Alice Smale in Denton, Lancashire in 1894. Smale died the same year, but Tudor continued in the felt hat trade by moving to London and becoming vice-president of the local branch of the Felt Hatters' Union. In 1897 Tudor remarried to Fanny Jane Mead.[1]
As vice-president of the union Tudor became interested in union politics (as many Labor politicians were before their entry into politics) and persuaded the British unions to adopt the union label principle. Returning to Australia, Tudor worked at Abbotsford's mills and took a seat in the Victorian Trades Hall Council. In 1900 he became president.[1]
Tudor was president of the Victorian Life Saving Society, and held a Bronze Medallion as a qualified life saver.[2] He had a long association with the Richmond Football Club, and served as club president from 1909 to 1918.[3][4]
Entry into politics
A prominent figure in
Frontbencher
Tudor was immediately elected the Labor Party's
Leader of the Opposition
Tudor led his party to a landslide defeat at the 1917 federal election. The ALP won just 22 seats out of 75, and the party was severely weakened by several of its senior figures following Hughes out of the party. Tudor was a leader of the successful "No" campaign at the 1917 conscription referendum. He was not regarded as a good public speaker, and his speeches were often seen as dull or confusing.[9]
While Tudor was respected within the ALP for his loyalty, he was often overshadowed by
In October 1919, the ALP Federal Conference passed a resolution inviting Ryan to enter federal politics and appointed him as national campaign director. Tudor was "unconsciously insulted" by a number of delegates, who effectively declared that he could not lead Labor to an election victory.[13] His leadership was defended by his supporters in the Victorian delegation, who threatened a walkout, and also by those who viewed the resolution as usurping the role of the party caucus in choosing their leader.[14]
At the election later that year, Tudor led the ALP to a second heavy election loss – 26 seats out of 75. He was twice taken ill during the campaign with "attacks of hemorrhage".[15] Tudor was increasingly seen as an ineffectual leader, and several elements were contemplating replacing him with Ryan. However, Ryan's early death in 1921 prevented him from taking Tudor's place. Tudor's own health became markedly worse during 1921, and he was increasingly unable to carry out his duties.[1] In September 1921, the party elected Matthew Charlton as assistant leader in the House of Representatives.[16]
Death
On 10 January 1922, Tudor died, aged 55. He was the first leader of the Labor Party to die in office,[1] and the first Opposition Leader never to become Prime Minister. He was succeeded as the member for Yarra by future Prime Minister James Scullin. Tudor was the first of five consecutive Opposition Leaders who was not a former Prime Minister.
Tudor's estate was valued at £4,629, around half of which was real estate. His widow went bankrupt within the year, after her brother's firm (in which she had invested most of her money) went broke.[17]
References
- ^ ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
- ^ The Australian Worker, 20 May 1915
- ^ "A brief history of Australian Rule's political scarf wearers and presidents". Crikey. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ^ "Club Officials". Richmond Football Club. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ^ National Archives of Australia. "Australian Labor Party: The Hon Frank Tudor". Australian Labor Party. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
- ISBN 0702209929.
- ^ Biography for TUDOR, the Hon. Frank Gwynne, Biographies, Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 22 November 2020, from https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22handbook%2Fallmps%2FKWL%22
- ^ Murphy 1975, p. 447.
- ^ Murphy 1975, p. 307, 309.
- ^ Murphy 1975, p. 371.
- ^ Murphy 1975, p. 372.
- ^ Murphy 1975, p. 421.
- ^ Murphy 1975, p. 455.
- ^ Murphy 1975, p. 457.
- ^ "Mr. Tudor's Movements". The Age. 8 November 1919.
- ^ "LABOR LEADERSHIP". The Age. 30 September 1921.
- ^ "WITHOUT RESOURCES: Late Frank Tudor's Widow", The Sun, 31 October 1922.
- Beazley, Kim (15 February 1966). "The quiet man – Frank Tudor". The Canberra Times.