Paddy Glynn
South Australian Parliament for Light | |
|---|---|
| In office 21 April 1887 – 22 April 1890 Serving with Jenkin Coles | |
| Preceded by | David Moody |
| Succeeded by | James Wharton White |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 August 1855 Nationalist (1917–19) |
| Spouse |
Abigail Dynon
(m. 1897; died 1930) |
| Relations | Trinity College, Dublin |
| Occupation | Barrister |
Patrick McMahon Glynn KC (25 August 1855 – 28 October 1931) was an Irish-Australian lawyer and politician. He served in the House of Representatives from 1901 to 1919, and was a government minister under three prime ministers, as Attorney-General (1909–1910), Minister for External Affairs (1913–1914) and Minister for Home and Territories (1917–1920). Prior to entering federal politics, Glynn was involved in the drafting of the Constitution of Australia. Born in Ireland, he arrived in Australia in 1880 and served three terms in the South Australian House of Assembly, as well as a brief stint as Attorney-General of South Australia.
Early life
Glynn was born on 25 August 1855 in
Move to Australia
In 1880, Glynn emigrated to Australia, initially settling in Melbourne. He struggled to find work as a barrister, but did find the time to publish a pamphlet on Irish nationalism. He eventually took up a position as a travelling salesman, selling life insurance and Singer sewing machines.[1]
Glynn moved to
South Australian politics
Glynn helped found the South Australian Land Nationalisation Society, and served as president of the South Australian branch of the Irish National League. He hosted the 1882 Australian tour of John Redmond, the leader of Irish Home Rulers. In 1887 Glynn's easy personal manners and prominence as an editor assisted him in his election to the South Australian House of Assembly as the member for Light.[1][2] In the chamber Glynn was an unwavering advocate of free trade, but his support of female suffrage and land nationalisation isolated him from his conservative colleagues.[1]
Glynn was defeated at the 1890 election and stood unsuccessfully for Light again at the 1893 election but returned to South Australian colonial politics in 1895 as the member for North Adelaide. With this victory, he became the first person in Australia to be elected under adult suffrage (whereby females had the right to vote). While he was defeated a year later at the 1896 election, he returned to parliament in a by-election for the seat of North Adelaide in 1897. Glynn briefly served as Attorney-General of South Australia in 1899 and remained in parliament until 1901.[1][2]
Constitutional convention
Glynn saw no merit in federation itself,
In the struggle over question of Federation in Western Australia, Glynn with some deviousness secretly drafted a petition, signed by 28,000, which implored the British government to carve out of the goldfields a new colony, 'Auralia'. Such a new colony would not serve Federation but its possibility was judged by Federationist strategists as likely to induce some Western Australians to support joining the new Commonwealth.[6]
Federal politics
First federal election
In the lead up to the inaugural federal election, Glynn acted as the informal deputy leader of the Free Trade Party and managed the Free Trade election campaigns in South Australia and Western Australia, while Free Trade leader George Reid oversaw the rest of Australia.[7] As a result, Glynn was not only comfortably elected to the single statewide Division of South Australia but, together with Reid, he is said to have "created Australia's first national political campaign".
Government minister
At the
Despite his ties with Reid, Glynn was not offered a place in the
Later life
.jpg)
Glynn retired from politics in 1919, and died at
Legacy
In 2016, the Australian Catholic University established a new public policy think tank based at its North Sydney campus, which was named the PM Glynn Institute.[9]
See also
- Hundred of Glynn
References
- ^ ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Patrick (Paddy) McMahon Glynn KC". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ Coleman (2021), p. 152.
- ^ Coleman (2021), p. 431.
- ^ Coleman (2021), p. 422.
- ^ Coleman (2021), p. 257.
- ISBN 0-522-84373-5.
- .
- ^ "Catholic solutions to public policy problems: ACU launches PM Glynn Institute think tank". The Catholic Weekly. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
Further reading
- Simms, M., ed. (2001). 1901: The forgotten election. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. ISBN 0-7022-3302-1.
- Henderson, A. (2019). Federation's Man of Letters: Patrick McMahon Glynn. Connor Court, Brisbane. ISBN 9781925826487.
- Coleman, William (2021). Their Fiery Cross of Union. A Retelling of the Creation of the Australian Federation, 1889-1914. Queensland: Connor Court.
Prime Minister: Alfred Deakin | ||
 | ||
