Alexander Poynton
Encyclopedia
Alexander Poynton, OBE
, (8 August 1853 – 9 January 1935), was an inaugural member of the Australian House of Representatives
.
Born in Castlemaine
, Victoria to Alexander, who took part in the Eureka Stockade
rebellion, and Rosanna Poynton, Poynton left school at 14 to work as a shearer
, station-hand and miner, and marry Harriet Brown on 15 July 1880 in Ballarat before moving to South Australia in 1887 and settling in Port Augusta
, where he founded the South Australian Shearers Union in 1888.
With his support in the labour movement, Poynton unsuccessfully stood for the South Australian House of Assembly
Electoral district of Newcastle before his election to the South Australian House of Assembly
Electoral district of Flinders
in 1893. In parliament Poynton served as Commissioner for Crown Lands in the Vaiben Solomon
ministry in 1899.
In 1901 Poynton successfully stood for the Australian House of Representatives in the inaugural federal election as a Free Trade Party
member for South Australia (which was not divided into electorates at the 1901 ballot). In 1903 he was elected as the Labor Party
member for Grey
, an electorate he represented until 1922.
During his time in parliament Poynton served variously as a member of the royal commission on stripper harvesters, chairman of committees, Treasurer
, Minister for Home and Territories
and Postmaster-General
. Among his political achievements was the establishment of a railway between Port Augusta and Western Australia, for which he lobbied nearly 18 years.
During World War I Poynton was a strong supporter of conscription and, following fiery internal party debates on the issue, Poynton left the ALP in November 1916 in support of Labor leader and Prime Minister Billy Hughes
to help found first the National Labor Party
and later the Nationalist Party
. Appointed OBE in 1920 for his work on repatriation issues, Poynton was defeated at the 1922 election
.
He died in Toorak Gardens
and was buried in North Road Cemetery
. His wife, a son and four daughters survived him.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (8 August 1853 – 9 January 1935), was an inaugural member of the Australian 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....
.
Born in Castlemaine
Castlemaine, Victoria
Castlemaine is a city in Victoria, Australia, in the Goldfields region of Victoria about 120 kilometres northwest by road from Melbourne, and about 40 kilometres from the major provincial centre of Bendigo. It is the administrative and economic centre of the Shire of Mount Alexander. The...
, Victoria to Alexander, who took part in the Eureka Stockade
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
rebellion, and Rosanna Poynton, Poynton left school at 14 to work as a shearer
Shearer
A shearer is someone who shears, such as a cloth shearer, or a sheep shearer.Additionally, Shearer is the surname of people:-In sports:*Alan Shearer , English footballer*Bobby Shearer , Scottish footballer...
, station-hand and miner, and marry Harriet Brown on 15 July 1880 in Ballarat before moving to South Australia in 1887 and settling in Port Augusta
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
, where he founded the South Australian Shearers Union in 1888.
With his support in the labour movement, Poynton unsuccessfully stood for 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 :...
Electoral district of Newcastle before his election to 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 :...
Electoral district of Flinders
Electoral district of Flinders
Flinders is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after explorer Matthew Flinders, who was responsible for charting most of the state's coastline. It is a 55,260.6 km² coastal rural electorate encompassing the Eyre Peninsula and...
in 1893. In parliament Poynton served as Commissioner for Crown Lands in the Vaiben Solomon
Vaiben Solomon
Vaiben Louis Solomon was the 21st Premier of South Australia and a member of the first Australian Commonwealth parliament....
ministry in 1899.
In 1901 Poynton successfully stood for the Australian House of Representatives in the inaugural federal election as a Free Trade Party
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
member for South Australia (which was not divided into electorates at the 1901 ballot). In 1903 he was elected as the 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...
member for Grey
Division of Grey
The Division of Grey is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir George Grey, who was Governor of South Australia 1841-45 ....
, an electorate he represented until 1922.
During his time in parliament Poynton served variously as a member of the royal commission on stripper harvesters, chairman of committees, Treasurer
Treasurer of Australia
The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government...
, Minister for Home and Territories
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
and Postmaster-General
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Australia)
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is currently Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy. He replaced Senator the Hon Helen Coonan on 3 December 2007.-Portfolio:...
. Among his political achievements was the establishment of a railway between Port Augusta and Western Australia, for which he lobbied nearly 18 years.
During World War I Poynton was a strong supporter of conscription and, following fiery internal party debates on the issue, Poynton left the ALP in November 1916 in support of Labor leader and Prime Minister Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
to help found first the National Labor Party
National Labor Party
The National Labor Party was the name used by the Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes for himself and his followers after he was expelled from the Australian Labor Party in November 1916 over his pro-conscription stance in relation to World War I...
and later the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
. Appointed OBE in 1920 for his work on repatriation issues, Poynton was defeated at the 1922 election
Australian federal election, 1922
Federal elections were held in Australia on 16 December 1922. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes lost its majority...
.
He died in Toorak Gardens
Toorak Gardens, South Australia
The Toorak Gardens area was originally part of the then larger, and now adjacent, suburb of Rose Park. Between 1912 and 1917 it was named "Toorak", and subsequently "Toorak Gardens". It is an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia located 2 km east of the Adelaide city centre...
and was buried in North Road Cemetery
North Road Cemetery
North Road Cemetery is located in the Adelaide suburb of Nailsworth, approximately 5 km north of the central business district. It is 7.3 hectares in size and there have been over 24,000 burials since its foundation in 1853...
. His wife, a son and four daughters survived him.