Hal Colebatch
CMG | |
---|---|
12th Premier of Western Australia | |
In office 17 April 1919 – 17 May 1919 | |
Monarch | George V |
Governor | Sir William Ellison-Macartney |
Preceded by | Sir Henry Lefroy |
Succeeded by | Sir James Mitchell |
Minister for Education | |
In office 27 July 1916 – 17 June 1923 | |
Preceded by | Thomas Walker |
Succeeded by | John Ewing |
Minister for Public Health | |
In office 17 May 1919 – 3 April 1921 | |
Succeeded by | Frank Broun |
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council | |
In office 22 May 1912 – 17 June 1923 | |
Preceded by | Warren Marwick |
Succeeded by | William Carroll |
Constituency | East Province |
Senator for Western Australia | |
In office 1 July 1929 – 20 March 1933 | |
Preceded by | Charles Graham Ted Needham |
Succeeded by | Herbert Collett |
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council | |
In office 22 May 1940 – 21 May 1948 Serving with Leonard Bolton and James Gordon Hislop | |
Preceded by | James Franklin |
Succeeded by | Keith Watson Harry Hearn |
Constituency | Metropolitan Province |
Personal details | |
Born | Harry Pateshall Colebatch 29 March 1872 Underley, Liberal (1945–1948) |
Spouses | Mary Maude Saunders
(m. 1896; died 1940)Marion Frances Gibson
(m. 1944) |
Children | Hal G. P. Colebatch |
Occupation | Journalist, politician |
Sir Harry Pateshall Colebatch
Colebatch became a member of parliament himself when he was elected to the
Colebatch served as a minister in the
The
Early life and career
Colebatch was born on 29 March 1872 in the village of Underley near
At age eleven, Colebatch left school as his father could not afford to continue with it. The normal leaving age was thirteen, but Colebatch sat and passed an examination in August 1883 to allow him to leave.
In 1888, aged 16, Colebatch moved to
Western Australia
Gold was discovered at
Coolgardie soon died down as all the surface gold was taken, and Kalgoorlie overtook it to become the
In 1898, Colebatch was banned from the parliamentary press gallery for reporting on a supposed fistfight that had occurred between two
Colebatch became the state chess champion in 1898.[30] By the late 1890s, the federation of Australia had become a major political issue. The Morning Herald, which by this time Colebatch had become assistant leader-writer under Archibald Sanderson, campaigned against federation. Colebatch was inspired by Sanderson's anti-federation arguments[31] and became anti-federation himself,[32] unusual for someone from eastern Australia.[a][34] Writing for the Royal Western Australian Historical Society's Early Days journal in 1951,[31] Colebatch said that "Sanderson's anti-federal articles — from the Western Australian point of view — could be examined line for line [today] and proved to be an absolutely accurate forecast of what has happened to the State under federation." Sanderson was not ideologically opposed to federation but was against the terms with which Western Australia was going to enter, saying that "no words in a written constitution could protect a small state in a federation against larger and more powerful ones making policies against its interest."[32] Western Australia ended up voting for federation in a 1900 referendum, and so it became one of the six states of Australia on 1 January 1901.[35]
Northam
The Morning Herald eventually collapsed, and so in 1904, Colebatch moved to Northam, a town in Western Australia's Wheatbelt. Largely using borrowed money, he bought his own newspaper: The Northam Advertiser.[36] A friend from Broken Hill, J. T. Nichols, was put in charge of printing the newspaper, leaving Colebatch in charge of the journalism, allowing the newspaper to prosper.[37] By this point, he had two sons: Harley and Gordon Lindsay, and was looking for a more settled life. He lived in Northam for years to come.[37]
In Northam, Colebatch became friends with local bank branch manager and future premier
Colebatch founded the Northam Bowling Club[42][43] and also took a part in creating a bowling club in the nearby town of York. In 1905, he won the state championship in bowls pairs and became the vice-president of the Western Australian Bowling Association.[7] He became a well-known figure within Northam, becoming a justice of the peace in 1906, a member of the District Board of Education, the local fire brigades board and the state fire brigades board.[44] In November 1909,[4][44] he was elected unopposed as the mayor of Northam[44][45] after being nominated by the retiring mayor, Oscar Bernard.[44][46] Colebatch oversaw the sealing of Northam's roads for the first time as well as the development of the Avon River with weirs and embankments to enhance the surroundings and prevent flooding, an initiative started by Bernard.[47] Colebatch managed to secure several large grants from the state government for these works.[44]
State politics
He first ran for parliament in 1910, contesting the East Province of the Legislative Council in a by-election on 26 September resulting from the death of George Throssell. Colebatch came second out of the three candidates, being beat by the more well known Warren Marwick.[48][49] He then received a petition from 72 electors to run again,[50] so he contested the newly-created seat of Avon in the 1911 state election. He was narrowly defeated by Thomas Bath from the Labor Party.[51][52] In early 1912, Colebatch and Mitchell formed a Liberal League in Northam.[53][54] Colebatch was also the convenor of a finance sub-committee within the Liberal Party, which made the successful recommendation to charge a membership fee so the party would be less reliant on large donors.[55][56] In March 1912, Colebatch was elected to the executive committee of the Liberal Party.[57][58]
Colebatch was initially not going to contest the May 1912 Legislative Council election, but Marwick had become unpopular in Northam due to his opinion on the proposed route for the transcontinental railway line. The most likely route was to be via Midland and Northam, where there was already a line, but there was an alternative proposal via Armadale and Brookton, which is also in the East Province. Marwick chose to support the Armadale-Brookton route, which resulted in his unpopularity within Northam. A public meeting in Northam decided that a better candidate must contest the East Province, and so Colebatch became a last-minute candidate. He supported the transcontinental railway line passing through Northam and a developmental railway being built from Armadale to Brookton.[59][60][61] Colebatch won the East Province,[62][63] beating Marwick by a small margin in every polling place except for in Marwick's home town of York.[64] Colebatch took his seat on 27 June 1912.[65] He did not contest the November 1912 Northam municipal election and was succeeded as mayor by Bernard.[66][67]
In opposition
Colebatch was part of the newly-formed Liberal Party, however in his maiden speech, he said he would always speak for his individual feelings.[68] At the time, John Scaddan had been premier for a year and the Labor Party had a substantial majority in the Legislative Assembly,[69] however the Legislative Council had a conservative majority.[70] According to historian Brian De Garis, "for a man like Colebatch, there could not have been a more opportune moment for launching a parliamentary career". He says it would have been difficult for Colebatch to stand out if he had entered the conservative-dominated upper house during a Liberal government, but entering during a Labor government gave him an opportunity to use his formidable debating skills.[71] Colebatch would soon become the Scaddan government's harshest critic in the Legislative Council and Labor members grew to dread his speeches.[72]
The Scaddan government felt that establishing and expanding government enterprises was in the best interests of the state, something that Colebatch was strongly opposed to. The government set out to establish state-run and state-subsidised brickworks, sawmills, quarries, hotels, dairies, ferries, butcher shops, fish shops, brick works, tramways, meat works, quarries and abattoirs.[65]
Colebatch lead the opposition to the Tramways Purchase Bill 1912, which sought to nationalise trams in Perth. He felt that the Perth City Council was being cheated out of their reversionary rights to the tramways and that the government would be a poor operator like they were with the railways. The bill was passed anyway, but it earned Colebatch a reputation as a "hard fighter and a brilliant speaker".[73] Two of the most important bills passed in this session of parliament were the Workers' Compensation Act and the Industrial Arbitration Act.[73] Workers' Compensation previously only applied to certain occupations, but the new act extended it to apply to all workers earning less than £300 per annum. Although he did not vote against it, Colebatch criticised the bill for hurting employers and was successful in limiting parts of the bill.[74] The Industrial Arbitration Act consolidated previous legislation and made it easier for unions to approach the Court of Arbitration.[73] Colebatch opposed the bill for preferencing unionists and hampering the ability of industries to compete with overseas firms. Eventually the two sides met and worked out a compromise which the government and the opposition could both support.[75] One bill that Colebatch was especially interested in was the Water Rights and Irrigation Bill. The bill was referred to a select committee that he was the chairman of and he introduced many of the amendments that the committee recommended. The amendments were not accepted by the Legislative Assembly though and the bill did not pass.[76] The following year, the bill was introduced again, but it failed to pass again.[77] It eventually passed in 1914.[78]
By 1913, Colebatch had gained a prominent position in the Liberal Party's governance. In February 1913, he was elected as a vice-president of the party's executive committee.[57][79] His opponents used this to attack his claimed position of being above party politics.[80]
One of the bills the government introduced in 1913 was the Electoral Districts Bill,[77] which proposed having commissioners design the electoral districts rather than parliament and introduced equally-populated constituencies for all of Western Australia except for three seats in the north of the state. This would have increased the number of metropolitan districts at the expense of rural districts. Colebatch opposed having equally-populated constituencies, saying that "it seems to be utterly unfair that huge districts with great interests and scattered population should be put in the same position as closely congested and settled communities".[81] He proposed seven amendments, including that rural districts should have 20 percent fewer voters and metropolitan districts should have more voters. The Legislative Council accepted these amendments but the Legislative Assembly did not, meaning the bill was unable to pass.[76]
Matthew Moss, the unofficial leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council, retired at the 1914 election, enabling Colebatch to take the position.[82] During 1914, Colebatch lead the opposition to the Income Tax (War Emergency) Bill, which was to raise taxes mainly to support farmers during the drought which was occurring at the time. Colebatch attacked the government for introducing the bill so late in the session, just before the 1914 election, without the presentation of estimates, and for only one third of the money raised going to the farmers.[83] The bill was defeated by the Legislative Council by eighteen votes to six.[84] The following year, Colebatch opposed the Income and Public Entertainments Taxation Bill, which was expected to increase taxation so that money could be spent on public works to create jobs. He believed that the money would better off with private enterprise, which would be able to provide more jobs and greater benefits to the state.[85]
In government
In July 1916, the Liberal and
The colonial secretary was responsible for numerous miscellaneous departments, including charities, public health, aborigines, public gardens, the state shipping service. Although the colonial secretary had to introduce many bills and answer many questions in parliament, it was not a role that allowed for high achievement to shine. On the other hand, the role of education minister allowed for this, and Colebatch found this to be his favourite portfolio. He later claimed that he was appointed education minister due to his advocacy for country high schools when Wilson was previously premier.[91]
Parliament was adjourned for seven weeks for ministerial by-elections to take place. Colebatch was subsequently elected unopposed.[92] Soon after parliament resumed, it was adjourned again for the 1916 Australian conscription referendum campaign.[93] Like most Liberal politicians, Colebatch supported conscription,[94][95] and his rhetoric grew more and more nationalistic as the campaign went on.[94][96] Western Australia ended up voting for conscription, whereas nationally, the majority voted against conscription.[97][98] Meanwhile, both of Colebatch's sons enlisted in the army and in 1917, they went to fight in France in World War I. Gordon was severely injured by a shell blast and suffered the effects of this for the rest of his life.[99] To help raise funds for soldiers and dependents in need, Colebatch was the chairman of the Western Australian War Patriotic Fund.[100][101]
The parliamentary session under the Wilson government only got underway in November 1916.[97] The government passed the Trading Concerns Act, which put all trading concerns on a commercial basis as well as preventing the establishment of trading concerns without the approval of parliament, preventing the government from using its executive power to do so like the Scaddan government often did.[102] The State Fish Supplies, which was one of Colebatch's responsibilities, was shut down due to not being commercially viable. On the other hand, the State Steamship Service proved viable and was not shut down.[103]
Colebatch was opposed to large-scale gambling and lotteries, particularly those run by the government, believing them to be a tax on the poor and stupid. He introduced a bill to outlaw
In May 1917, the Liberal Party was disbanded and turned into the
The
By 1917, Colebatch had established district high schools in Northam and Geraldton. He had also established scholarships to enable children from outside areas to attend them. Two more district high schools were created in Bunbury and Albany that year.[114] Establishing the first high schools outside Perth and the Goldfields had been the issue which had impelled him to enter politics.[115] In 1918, Nationalist member John Stewart resigned from the seat of Claremont in the Legislative Assembly. It was offered to Colebatch that he resign from the Legislative Council to contest the resulting by-election so that he could one day become premier, however Colebatch decline the offer as he did not want to undermine confidence in the Lefroy Government.[114]
Spanish flu
By late 1918, the
The state and federal governments agreed that any state with a Spanish flu outbreak should be declared an infected area, which would stop all land communication and sea communication would be quarantined. Following Parliament's recess for Christmas 1918, Lefroy and two cabinet ministers attended conferences in
The Commonwealth Government will hold your government responsible for all damage done to trains, expenditure incurred, and loss sustained in connection with seizures. Unless I receive from you before 5 p.m. on Wednesday the 5th inst. a definite assurance that no further trains will be seized, and that those detailed will be restored, I will order the complete suspension of the railway service between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta without further delay. I regret having to resort to drastic procedure, but owing to the failure of your Government to extend the courtesy of prior notification to this Government and before action was taken by your Government, and the continued resistance of the authorities in your State to the operation of the Quarantine Agreement, no other course remains open.[121]
Lefroy decided that he would not stand in the way of Colebatch and further action was up to him.[121] South Australia eventually declared infection meaning the railway would have been shut down under the agreement. Because of the shipping strike, Lefroy and the two ministers could not get back to Western Australia without taking the train. Colebatch decided to allow a special train in, as long as the people aboard quarantined, but Watt disallowed this from happening. In general, Western Australians strongly supported Colebatch's actions during the Spanish flu pandemic. He earned further praise when he ended a two-month-long tramway strike.[122]
Premier
In April 1919, Lefroy resigned as premier, and Colebatch took over, becoming the only premier to come from the Legislative Council. Colebatch made himself
The largest issue during his premiership was the 1919 Fremantle Wharf riot. Stevedores from two different unions — the National Waterside Workers Union (NWWU) and the Fremantle Lumpers Union (FLU) — were working at Fremantle Harbour. The two unions often disagreed with each other and the Commonwealth Arbitration Board favoured the NWWU. Western Australia had a shortage of many essential goods such as medical supplies and food as a result of the earlier shipping strike and the need to quarantine. When the SS Dimboola arrived in Perth from Melbourne, carrying passengers (including Lefroy) and cargo, the passengers and most of the crew went into quarantine, but the federal government allowed some of the crew to berth the ship before going into quarantine. Fremantle Harbour officials did not allow the ship to berth and forced it to be fumigated at anchor. The NWWU workers then began to unload the ship but the FLU workers attacked them and started picketing,[124] wanting to remove all NWWU workers from working at the wharf.[125] Colebatch implored Watt to try and settle the dispute, as industrial relations were the responsibility of the federal government and the state had little power to do anything other than to use police to diffuse violence. Watt disagreed and said it was up to the state to solve the issue. He also said that if the issue was not fixed quickly, then he would stop shipping to Fremantle.[125] His son, Hal G. P. Colebatch, posited in his 2004 biography that Watt was "probably trying to get revenge on Colebatch for impounding the Commonwealth train and his earlier criticism of the Commonwealth Government during the Boonah affair."[125]
On 1 May, Colebatch told the FLU that he would get the police if they did not come to an agreement or cease picketing the wharf. The union did not do this, and so on 4 May, a group of people travelled down the Swan River in two launches. Among the people on the boats were Colebatch, the commissioner of police, small businessmen and consignees desperate to get the Dimboola unloaded.[126] As the boats travelled under a bridge, the FLU members dropped rocks, scrap iron and other objects onto the boats in an attempt to sink them. The larger objects missed the boats, but several people were injured by smaller objects. University of New South Wales Professor of History Francis Keble Crowley said that "the premier came close to being assassinated when masonry hit the deck of his launch."[127] When the boats reached the wharf, a riot broke out between the union workers and the police, who were trying to push the crowd back from the ship. During this, a man named Thomas Edwards was injured and later died.[128] The police commissioner told Colebatch that the police could not control the situation without shooting their guns, but Colebatch did not want to authorise that. Colebatch, the police commissioner, the businessmen and consignees soon left, unsuccessful. In total, approximately 26 police officers and six FLU workers were injured, excluding Edwards. The following day, there was further violence between police and union members.[129] Colebatch announced on 8 May 1919 that the NWWU had agreed to withdraw from the wharf to avoid any further conflict.[130]
Colebatch resigned as premier on 15 May 1919 as he was unable to find a Legislative Assembly seat and his health was deteriorating
Mitchell Government
Mitchell did not like travelling interstate for meetings with the prime minister and other premiers, so he often had Colebatch represent him instead. Colebatch attended a meeting with Prime Minister Billy Hughes and the other premiers in October 1919. Hughes wanted to enlarge the powers of the Commonwealth Government, which Colebatch was opposed to, as he believed local self-governance improved economic efficiency and individual freedom. Starting in May 1920, he visited the north-west of the state, a place usually neglected by the state government. When he visited Onslow, it was the first time in ten years a government minister had visited there. The visit to the north-west lasted three months and he travelled 8,000 kilometres (5,000 mi).[133]
He met with Hughes again to show the prime minister the
In addition to showing Hughes around Western Australia, Colebatch did the same for several other figures. In 1922, he guided Colonel S. F. Newcombe, who was sent by the British Government to investigate settling discharged soldiers there.[135] He also guided V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, who was sent to ensure that Indians settled in white British countries were not discriminated against.[136] Another task for Colebatch was to negotiate with John Forrest's widow, Margaret Forrest, over a statue of Forrest which the government wanted to erect in Kings Park. Lady Forrest wanted for the statue to depict him as a "slim young explorer", but Colebatch convinced her that a statue depicting him as a "mature and portly statesman" would be best.[137]
From 1921 to 1922, Colebatch was the president of the West Australian Club. He was also a life member of the Royal Perth Yacht Club. Following the 1921 state election, Colebatch was the only minister in the Legislative Council. He was therefore responsible for introducing and handling all bills and other business of the upper house, placing a large workload on him. As there was much hinging on him, the house adjourned when he became sick. Several of his colleagues thought the burden on him was too much.[137]
In the
Agent-general
On his way to England, Colebatch passed through
Soon after he arrived in London, the 1924 Western Australian state election occurred, in which Labor, led by Philip Collier, defeated the Coalition, led by James Mitchell. Colebatch spend the rest of his term as agent-general under a Labor Western Australian Government. Among the things the role entailed was representing the State Government in negotiations with the British Government, the Australian Government and sometimes other foreign governments, deal with European investors and companies operating in Western Australia, arrange loans, work as a purchasing agent for government departments, recruit for specialist positions, communicate with the premier about the goings on in London, promote migration to Western Australia, represent the state at ceremonies, assist Western Australians in London, and generally do things to raise the profile of the state.[143]
He became chairman of the committee responsible for the Australian section of the British Empire Exhibition in 1924 after the previous committee fell apart.[144] Despite this, Colebatch had reservations about the exhibition, thinking it should have involved more than just the British Empire. He supported Australian High Commissioner Joseph Cook when he opposed the country subsidizing the following year's event. Colebatch became a member of the Savage Club when one of the committee members nominated him.[145] He found difficulty in raising loans for Western Australia, firstly, because the London money market was depressed,[144] and secondly, because much loan money was being sent to Germany instead due to the high interest rates there.[146] When the Group Settlement Scheme seemed to be failing, Colebatch persuaded Collier to travel to London to negotiate a new migration deal. Collier dislike travelling, but he went to London anyway and a new deal was signed.[147]
Colebatch's term as agent-general was planned to end in November 1926, just a few months before the 1927 state election. He pointed out to Collier that he would have been expected by Coalition politicians to campaign against Labor in the election. He thought it would be distasteful to campaign against the government when they had worked together well over the previous three years. Collier agreed, and so Colebatch's term as agent-general was extended by a year.[147] In the 1927 New Year Honours, he was made a Knight Bachelor upon the recommendation of the Labor government.[148]
While Colebatch was living in London, his son Gordon was living in Italy to study singing, theatre and languages.[149] In 1927, Colebatch and his wife travelled around Italy for several months, visiting Rome and Venice among other places.[150] Gordon was friends with high ranking officials in the British Embassy in Rome, through which he secured a private meeting between Colebatch and Benito Mussolini at Chigi Palace.[151] His tour around Italy led Colebatch to form his anti-fascist political beliefs.[149]
Return to Australia
Upon returning to Australia in 1927, Collier asked Colebatch to create a book on the history of Western Australia to commemorate the state's centenary in 1929. Although Colebatch was the book's editor, he wrote almost all of it himself, and was not paid.[152] The book, titled A Story of A Hundred Years: Western Australia 1829–1929, was published in 1929.[153]
While working on the book, Prime Minister Stanley Bruce asked for Colebatch to sit on the Royal Constitution on the Constitution to suggest possible amendments. Colebatch accepted, and became one of seven members of the commission. The other six were from New South Wales and Victoria, and none of them were federalists like Colebatch. The Victorian members even wanted to abolish the states, but that position lost out. The commission travelled around Australia, holding 198 public sittings and examining 339 witnesses.[154] Colebatch suggest that the election method for the Australian Senate be changed from the "block majority" method to proportional representation. This recommendation was adopted twenty years later. When the commission handed down its report, Colebatch also released a minority report.[155]
Australian Senate
Colebatch was elected as a senator for Western Australia at the 1928 federal election, taking his seat on 1 July 1929.[156] He had accepted the nomination from the Nationalist Party on the condition that he would not attend party meetings and that he would not be bound by how the party wanted to vote, believing that the party system undermined the Senate's intended role as the state's house. These conditions were unusual, and likely prevented him from becoming a minister.[157] Elected alongside Colebatch as a senator for Western Australia were Bertie Johnston, a former Labor politician turned Country Party member, and incumbent Nationalist senator Walter Kingsmill.[157] Colebatch was the first of the three elected, declaring that his election was an endorsement of his belief that the Senate should be a states' house and not a party house.[156]
During the
Colebatch criticised the Labor government when it reduced military training in country areas as it cost more than in cities, saying that it was unfair to people living in the country and that the Great Depression could lead to war. He lobbied for the Australian government to contribute to the construction of the Singapore Naval Base.[164]
In 1930, Colebatch was the vice-chairman of a select committee to investigate the standing committee system, although he acted as the chairman for much of that time as the chairman was overseas. Its recommendations were for the establishment of a Standing Committee on External Affairs and a Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, as well as the amendment of the Senate's standing orders so that bills could be referred to select committees. The Committee of Regulations and Ordinances was established as a result, and became a permanent part of the Senate machinery.[165] Otto Niemeyer, a British banker who had worked for HM Treasury and the Bank of England, visited Australia in 1930 to give the prime minister and premiers advice on the Great Depression. James Mitchell, who by that time had become the premier of Western Australia again, sent Colebatch instead. Colebatch largely agreed with what Niemeyer said,[166] however the Labor Party did not.[167]
Sitting next to Colebatch in the Senate was
Colebatch was disappointed when the new United Australia Party government turned out to be almost as protectionist as the previous government.[170] In May 1932, he tried to amend the Customs Bill so that the government was obliged to have its tariff schedules approved by parliament within three months. After some debate, he compromised on six months and so the amendment was passed. Colebatch was the only senator to oppose the Ottawa Agreement of 1932, which established the system of Imperial Preference.[171]
Agent-general again
Secessionism
In January 1933, Mitchell offered Colebatch the position of agent-general again. Colebatch, believing his anti-protectionist efforts in the Senate to be futile, took the position, making him the first person to be agent-general for Western Australia twice. By this time, he was involved with the campaign for
On 8 April 1933, the
Colebatch knew the chance of being successful was low but saw the situation as a useful bargaining chip in negotiations with the federal government as well as way to generate publicity for the state's grievances.[182] J. H. Thomas, the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, told Colebatch that the British Government had no intention on allowing secession but it would nevertheless receive the delegation courteously. This pleased Colebatch, who now did not have to worry about the intricacies and consequences of secession. When Edward John Harding, the permanent under-secretary for the dominions, asked Colebatch if Western Australia really wanted to secede, he replied that the movement would subside if Western Australia received fairer treatment from the Commonwealth. The petition was presented to both houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in December 1934 and was then referred to a select committee which determined that although the British Parliament had the legal power to pass an act for the secession of Western Australia, it would go against constitutional conventions unless the petition came as the "clearly expressed wish of the Australian people as a whole". As a result, the British Parliament rejected the petition.[184]
When Watson suggested armed rebellion if the petition was rejected, Colebatch issued a statement distancing the Western Australian government from these comments. The secession movement faded away after it was clear that the British Parliament was not interested.[177] Colebatch could consider the situation a win, despite having previously advocated for secession, as the federal government soon reduced import duties on several items and it established the Commonwealth Grants Commission to advise the government on the distribution of grants to the states. The federal government also began spending more on defence in Western Australia; it had spent almost nothing prior to that. It created the Fremantle Fortress on Rottnest Island, which included 9.2-inch naval guns to defend Fremantle.[185]
Other
In 1933, Colebatch issued an
Colebatch became a
In 1936, Colebatch was reappointed Agent-General.[192] He went on a tour of Scandinavia at the beginning of 1936, having received invitations from the Anglo-Swedish and Anglo-Danish societies to give a series of lectures on Australian products. He accepted the invitations on the condition that he was not paid for his lectures.[193] After that, he went to Germany with Albert Edward Heath, the agent-general for New South Wales, and Arthur Balfour, 1st Baron Riverdale.[194] The official reason for visiting Germany was to go to the Leipzig Trade Fair, but he also met with several anti-fascist Germans who sought to open Germany to trade with the outside world,[194] as well as several Nazi political figures such as Hjalmar Schacht[195] and Joachim von Ribbentrop.[196] He later went on a lecture tour of England and Scotland for the Overseas League, where he urged for Britain to adopt conscription. When the Perth Trades Hall heard about this, it urged the state government to sack Colebatch.[197]
In mid-1937, Colebatch returned to Germany with Heath and G. H. Morrison, an Australian journalist living in Germany, to attend the International Chamber of Commerce in Berlin.[198] Colebatch described the event as propaganda designed to impress the delegates.[199] He was also given a tour of a labour camp and a concentration camp, possibly Sachsenhausen. Colebatch described the camp as "specially selected for display to visitors".[200] In February 1939, he gave the centenary address to the Cobden Club.[201] Albeit keen to continue as agent-general, when Colebatch's term was up in 1939, a former Labor minister, Frank Troy, was appointed in his place.[201] Colebatch then returned to Perth.[202]
Back in Australia
During World War II, Colebatch was the vice-president of the State Executive Committee for raising war funds. Brian De Garis wrote that "he could take satisfaction in the good record of Western Australia in this respect, for it raised more per head in War Savings Certificates than the wealthier and more populous states." He used his position in The Northam Advertiser to urge readers to take the war seriously and prepare the country for what was to come, as well as further advocate for conscription.[203]
Colebatch was again elected to the Legislative Council, this time to the
Colebatch contested the 1948 Western Australian Legislative Council election as one of two candidates endorsed by the Liberal Party for his seat. The party did not want Colebatch elected though, and only helped the other candidate. Colebatch lost the election as a result.[207]
Death
After a short illness, Colebatch died on 12 February 1953 at Royal Perth Hospital.[208][209] He received a state funeral on 13 February at St George's Cathedral. Despite the state election occurring on the following day, the pallbearers included Premier Ross McLarty, Chief Secretary Victor Doney, Speaker Charles North, Deputy Opposition Leader John Tonkin, President of the Legislative Council Harold Seddon, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly F. E. Islip, Lord Mayor of Perth Joseph Totterdell, Frank Gibson, George Lowe Sutton, William Pickering and Sydney Stubbs. Federal Minister for Territories Paul Hasluck represented the Commonwealth Government.[208][210] His net worth at the time of his death was only slightly above £2000, owning no house or car.[211][212] He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.[2][4]
Personal life
Although he was brought up Anglican, he was not an active member of any church and his religious beliefs were vague and undefined.[213]
Colebatch married Mary Maud Saunders (1869–1940) on 29 April 1896 in St George's Cathedral.[4] They had two sons: Harley Colebatch and Gordon Lindsay Colebatch. Both sons fought in France during World War I and Gordon was severely injured by a shell burst.[214] Mary Maud Saunders died on 20 January 1940.[4][204]
At a social function at Parliament House, Colebatch met Marion Frances Gibson (1911–1975), an Army Nursing Sister
Notes
- ^ The majority of people from eastern Australia, also known as t'othersiders, that came during the gold rushes in the 1890s supported federation and the majority of people who had lived in Western Australia before that opposed federation.[33]
- ^ John Forrest had been the state's premier for 11 years, far longer than any of his successors. His departure from state politics for federal politics in 1901 led to a dearth in the state parliament's talent.[89]
- ^ The position of Deputy Premier of Western Australia did not become official until 1955.[110]
- ^ The position of lieutenant governor was used instead of governor from 1931 to 1948 as a cost-saving measure as lieutenant governors get paid less.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 13; De Garis 1962, p. 1.
- ^ ISSN 1833-7538. Published online 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2023
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 16.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Hal Pateshall Colebatch". Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, pp. 16, 19; De Garis 1962, p. 2.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 19.
- ^ a b Colebatch 2004, p. 43.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, pp. 14–15.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 14; De Garis 1962, p. 2.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, pp. 16, 19; De Garis 1962, p. 1.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 21; De Garis 1962, p. 1.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 21; De Garis 1962, p. 2.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 22; De Garis 1962, pp. 2–3.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 23.
- ^ a b Colebatch 2004, p. 25; De Garis 1962, p. 3.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 26; De Garis 1962, p. 3.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 26; De Garis 1962, p. 4.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, p. 26.
- ^ Colebatch 2004, pp. 26–27; De Garis 1962, pp. 4–5.
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Bibliography
- ISBN 1-920731-39-3.
- De Garis, Brian (1962). A Political Biography of Sir Hal Colebatch (MA thesis). University of Western Australia.
- ISBN 978-1-925580-43-3– via Parliament of Western Australia.
Further reading
- Colebatch, Hal, ed. (1929). A Story of A Hundred Years: Western Australia, 1829–1929. Government Printer.
- Colebatch, Hal (1949), Unpublished autobiography, [The author – via J S Battye Library
- Colebatch, Hal (1922–1949), Papers – via J S Battye Library
External links
- Maiden speech
- Media related to Hal Colebatch at Wikimedia Commons