Albert Thompson (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Albert Victor Thompson was a member of the Australian House of Representatives
and the South Australian House of Assembly
.
Born at Yatala (now Rosewater
) near Port Adelaide, South Australia, Thompson was the sixth child of Joseph Thompson and Jane Ann Batey, both of Northumberland
, England
. Thompson married Millicent Maud Garnaut on 19 January 1909 and initially farmed near Keith
in southeast South Australia
before a drought in 1914 led to their return to Port Adelaide.
In 1930 Thompson was elected President of the Carters and Drivers Union, (later the Transport Workers Union
). His influence in the union movement led to his preselection as the Australian Labor Party
candidate for the safe Labor seat of Port Adelaide
at the 1930 South Australian election. Thompson served in state parliament until 1946 (from 1938 as the member for Semaphore) as well as serving as president of the South Australian branch of the ALP from 1938 to 1940.
In 1946
Thompson resigned from state parliament to successfully run as the Labor candidate for Hindmarsh
in the House of Representatives
, moving to the neighbouring federal Division of Port Adelaide
in 1949
. Thompson retired from politics at the 1963 election.
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
and the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
.
Born at Yatala (now Rosewater
Rosewater, South Australia
Rosewater is one of the western suburbs of Adelaide and is located 10 km north-west of Adelaide's central business district . Although mainly residential, there are many shops along Grand Junction Road and the retired "Rosewater Loop" railway line runs through the suburb...
) near Port Adelaide, South Australia, Thompson was the sixth child of Joseph Thompson and Jane Ann Batey, both of Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Thompson married Millicent Maud Garnaut on 19 January 1909 and initially farmed near Keith
Keith, South Australia
Keith is a small farming town in the south-east of South Australia. It is approximately 225 km from Adelaide at the junction of the Dukes Highway and the Riddoch Highway. It is sometimes referred to as the 'lucerne capital of Australia' due to the high number of lucerne growers in the region...
in southeast South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
before a drought in 1914 led to their return to Port Adelaide.
In 1930 Thompson was elected President of the Carters and Drivers Union, (later the Transport Workers Union
Transport Workers Union of Australia
The Transport Workers Union of Australia is a trade union with over 80,000 members throughout Australia. It has 5 main branches in Australia* Australian Capital Territory/New South Wales* Queensland* Victoria/Tasmania...
). His influence in the union movement led to his preselection as the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
candidate for the safe Labor seat of Port Adelaide
Electoral district of Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Named after Port Adelaide because of its geographical location, it is a 113.4 km² urban electorate on Adelaide's Lefevre Peninsula and stretches east to cove some of Adelaide's northern...
at the 1930 South Australian election. Thompson served in state parliament until 1946 (from 1938 as the member for Semaphore) as well as serving as president of the South Australian branch of the ALP from 1938 to 1940.
In 1946
Australian federal election, 1946
Federal elections were held in Australia on 28 September 1946. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
Thompson resigned from state parliament to successfully run as the Labor candidate for Hindmarsh
Division of Hindmarsh
The Division of Hindmarsh is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia covering the western gulfside suburbs of Adelaide.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir John Hindmarsh, who was Governor of South Australia 1836-38. For many years it was one of the safest Labor seats...
in the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
, moving to the neighbouring federal Division of Port Adelaide
Division of Port Adelaide
The Division of Port Adelaide is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of South Australia. It is located in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, covering the area around the Barker Inlet, part of the Gulf St Vincent. It stretches from St Kilda in the north down to Grange Road, and is roughly...
in 1949
Australian federal election, 1949
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1949. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives, and 42 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, where the single transferable vote was introduced...
. Thompson retired from politics at the 1963 election.