William Kidston
Queensland Legislative Assembly for Rockhampton | |
---|---|
In office 4 April 1896 – 7 February 1911 Serving with George Curtis, Kenneth Grant | |
Preceded by | Archibald Archer |
Succeeded by | John Adamson |
Personal details | |
Born | William Kidston 17 August 1849 Labour, Kidstonites |
Spouse | Margaret Johnston Scott (m.1875 d.1910) |
Occupation | Bookseller |
William Kidston (17 August 1849 – 25 October 1919) was an Australian bookseller, politician and Premier of Queensland, from January 1906 to November 1907 and again from February 1908 to February 1911.
Early life
William Kidston was born in
In Rockhampton, Kidston started a new career as a bookseller. During the early 1890s, growing industrial unrest pitted the newly formed
Ascent into Parliament
The unionists' defeat at the hands of the government prompted the labour movement to aim for political representation in the Parliament of Queensland. The Australian Labour Federation (ALF) sought to repeal the antiquated anti-striking laws that had been used against the strikers. Kidston wrote a poem, entitled The Ballot is the Thing,[1] in support of the unionists' goals. Kidston became the main ALF figure in Rockhampton and campaigned for electoral reform – abolition of plural voting, and extension of the franchise. In addition to the cause of the labour movement, Kidston also supported the separatist organisations in Rockhampton that sought to make Central Queensland a separate colony. Kidston stood unsuccessfully as a separatist candidate for Rockhampton in 1893. In the elections of 1896 he was elected as an endorsed Labor candidate.
In Parliament, Kidston began agitating for a broad coalition of progressive elements to defeat the conservative "Continuous Ministry" now led by
The faltering Ministerialists were beginning to fracture, and when Robert Philp resigned as premier following a narrow win on an important vote, Kidston briefly found himself Treasurer in 1899 in the world's first parliamentary labour government under Anderson Dawson. The government lasted only a week before it was defeated on the floor of parliament, an experience which convinced Kidston of the necessity of seeking support outside of the ALF proper.
In 1903 an alliance of disaffected Ministerialists, Liberals and the ALF brought down Philp's government and replaced him with
Premiership
By 1905, Kidston's collaboration with non-Labor elements had provoked criticism from sections of the Labor movement, and when the Labor convention in May endorsed a socialist objective, Kidston protested vigorously. When Hugh Nelson died in January 1906, Morgan took his place as president of the Queensland Legislative Council, which led to Kidston's ascension as premier. In May 1907, he announced the formation of his own political party, to which a majority of the Labor members in parliament declared allegiance.
The early years of Kidston's premiership were dominated by his fight with the conservative Legislative Council, which rejected much of his legislation. In 1908, when Kidston asked the governor, Lord Chelmsford, to appoint more Council members to secure passage of his legislation, Chelmsford refused and Kidston resigned in protest. Robert Philp was commissioned as premier but, without a majority in the Legislative Assembly, could not govern. Chelmsford attempted to dissolve the Assembly, but before he could do so, the Assembly blocked supply. The paralysis was ended when Chelmsford dissolved the Assembly, guaranteed supply in his capacity as governor, and called an election.
Kidston's party won the most seats, and formed a government with Labor's support. Kidston immediately acted to curtail the council's powers. He also proceeded with laws enacting electoral reform and the establishment of Wages Boards. However, he lost Labor's support when he authorised private
After lengthy negotiations, Kidston succeeded in ensuring amendments to the
In 1911, he resigned to take up a position as President of the Land Court, which he maintained until 1919. He died in October that year in Coorparoo and was buried in South Rockhampton Cemetery.[2]
References
- ^ Kidston, William (1891). The ballot is the thing : a Queensland edition of "Wearing of the green". Rockhampton: Northern Argus Office.
- ^ South Rockhampton Cemetery (Rockhampton General Cemetery) Index Archived 3 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Rockhampton Regional Council Grave Location Search. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
Further reading
- ISBN 0-7022-3173-8.
- Ross McMullin, The Light on the Hill: The Australian Labor Party 1891-1991
External links
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