Alfred Foster
Encyclopedia
Alfred William Foster was an Australian judge.
Foster was born at Beechworth
to tobacconist Alfred William Foster and Sarah, née Brown. He attended school locally and graduated from Beechworth College
at the age of fourteen. Interested in spiritualism
, around this time Foster rejected Christianity
as lacking in scientific evidence. He moved to Melbourne
to study law in 1906, where he joined the Victorian Rationalist Association; after a defeat in a debate on socialism
against a Victorian Socialist Party
team including John Curtin
, Foster became a convert to socialism and joined the party himself. He was called to the Bar in June 1910 but struggled in his early legal career.
In 1914 Foster became a prominent opponent of Australia's involvement in World War I
, and he was later a strident anti-conscription
ist, defending those charged under the War Precautions Act and risking conviction himself with some of his speeches. He was also opposed to the Hughes
government's censorship laws, and joined the Labor Party
during the war, becoming a member of the central executive and standing for the federal seat of Balaclava
in 1917 following the party split. He had married Beatrice May Warden on 12 January 1916. He joined the Food Preservers' Union, of which he became president, and was a delegate to the Victorian ALP Conference and the Trades Hall Council. He unsuccessfully contested the federal seat of Fawkner
in 1922 and 1925.
In 1920 Foster was appointed as union advocate to the royal commission on the basic wage and successfully argued for an increase, although the recommendation was not implemented. His wife died from cancer
in 1925. In 1924 he was counsel assisting the royal commission on the 1923 Melbourne police strike, and in 1926 represented the New South Wales and Queensland Labor governments in the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration
case regarding standard working hours. In 1927 he resigned all political positions to become a judge in the County Court of Victoria
; while he enforced the written laws he continued to advocate reform. On 25 January 1927 he married Ella Wilhelmina Jones. In 1934 he attracted controversy for telling a young witness, "There is no hell, sonny." He became a pacifist in the 1930s and after the outbreak of World War II
supported close relations with the Soviet Union
.
In October 1942 Foster was appointed to head the Women's Employment Board before being transferred to the Commonwealth Arbitration Court in October 1944. He was involved in a major case on standard hours that ran from 1945 to 1947 and delivered the judgement on the forty hour week. In 1950 he influenced the decision to increase the weekly wage by £1. Despite being considered early in his term as a champion for the unions, he decided against eight officials who defied the Chifley
government's emergency laws against assisting strikers in 1949. In 1952 he was assigned to the maritime industry and encouraged the replacement of outdated vessels, created a new seamen's award in 1955 and adjusted it to placate shipowners in 1960. He died at Sandringham
in 1962.
Foster was born at Beechworth
Beechworth, Victoria
Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s...
to tobacconist Alfred William Foster and Sarah, née Brown. He attended school locally and graduated from Beechworth College
Beechworth Secondary College
Beechworth Secondary College is a state secondary college located in the old gold mining town of Beechworth, Victoria which is located in the north east of the state near the border of Victoria and New South Wales.-About the school:...
at the age of fourteen. Interested in spiritualism
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
, around this time Foster rejected Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
as lacking in scientific evidence. He moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to study law in 1906, where he joined the Victorian Rationalist Association; after a defeat in a debate on socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
against a Victorian Socialist 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...
team including John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
, Foster became a convert to socialism and joined the party himself. He was called to the Bar in June 1910 but struggled in his early legal career.
In 1914 Foster became a prominent opponent of Australia's involvement in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and he was later a strident anti-conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
ist, defending those charged under the War Precautions Act and risking conviction himself with some of his speeches. He was also opposed to the Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
government's censorship laws, and joined 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...
during the war, becoming a member of the central executive and standing for the federal seat of Balaclava
Division of Balaclava
The Division of Balaclava was an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It was named for the suburb of Balaclava, which in turn was named for a battlefield of the Crimean War...
in 1917 following the party split. He had married Beatrice May Warden on 12 January 1916. He joined the Food Preservers' Union, of which he became president, and was a delegate to the Victorian ALP Conference and the Trades Hall Council. He unsuccessfully contested the federal seat of Fawkner
Division of Fawkner
The Division of Fawkner was an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1906 , and was abolished itself in 1969. It was named for John Pascoe Fawkner, one of the founders of Melbourne. It was located in the inner southern suburbs of Melbourne, including at various...
in 1922 and 1925.
In 1920 Foster was appointed as union advocate to the royal commission on the basic wage and successfully argued for an increase, although the recommendation was not implemented. His wife died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1925. In 1924 he was counsel assisting the royal commission on the 1923 Melbourne police strike, and in 1926 represented the New South Wales and Queensland Labor governments in the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration
Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration
The Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration is a defunct Australian court, which had jurisdiction to arbitrate interstate industrial disputes....
case regarding standard working hours. In 1927 he resigned all political positions to become a judge in the County Court of Victoria
County Court of Victoria
The County Court of Victoria was established in 1852 by the County Courts Act 1852. The court has jurisdiction in the State of Victoria, Australia...
; while he enforced the written laws he continued to advocate reform. On 25 January 1927 he married Ella Wilhelmina Jones. In 1934 he attracted controversy for telling a young witness, "There is no hell, sonny." He became a pacifist in the 1930s and after the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
supported close relations with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
In October 1942 Foster was appointed to head the Women's Employment Board before being transferred to the Commonwealth Arbitration Court in October 1944. He was involved in a major case on standard hours that ran from 1945 to 1947 and delivered the judgement on the forty hour week. In 1950 he influenced the decision to increase the weekly wage by £1. Despite being considered early in his term as a champion for the unions, he decided against eight officials who defied the Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
government's emergency laws against assisting strikers in 1949. In 1952 he was assigned to the maritime industry and encouraged the replacement of outdated vessels, created a new seamen's award in 1955 and adjusted it to placate shipowners in 1960. He died at Sandringham
Sandringham, Victoria
Sandringham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Sandringham had a population of 8693.-History:...
in 1962.