Alfred Yeo
Encyclopedia
Alfred William Yeo was an Australia
n politician. He was a Country Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1932 to 1941, representing the electorate of Castlereagh
.
Yeo was born at Cobboro, near Dunedoo
, and was educated at the Tooraweenah
and Dunedoo public schools. He became a farmer of sheep, wheat, and rice, and owned 'Wattle View', a property at Tooraweenah. He was the secretary of the Tooraweenah Agricultural Society, and was involved with the Railway League, Farmers and Settlers' Association and Grazier's Association. He was elected to the Gilgandra Shire council in 1928, serving until 1931; he was also elected to the state council of the Country Party in 1933.
Yeo entered state politics at the 1932 election
, when he was preselected as the Country Party candidate for the Labor-held seat of Castlereagh
, held by Joseph Clark. The 1932 election followed the Governor's dismissal of the Lang
Labor government, and the conservative parties won in a landslide; Yeo easily won Castlereagh. He held the seat in 1932 and 1938, and became Country Party Whip before being appointed Secretary for Lands on 6 November 1940, only seven months before the 1941 state election
.
The electoral redistribution before the 1941 election weakened Yeo's margin in Castlereagh, and he chose to contest the open seat of Liverpool Plains
that year. However, the conservative government lost office, and he was defeated in the attempt to move seats; his party also lost Castlereagh. He contested a 1942 by-election for the seat of Dubbo
and his old seat of Castlereagh at the 1944 election
, but was defeated both times. He subsequently retired from elective politics, but continued to serve on the state council of the Country Party until 1946.
Yeo subsequently moved to Leeton
in the early 1950s, and died there in 1976.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. He was a Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1932 to 1941, representing the electorate of Castlereagh
Electoral district of Castlereagh
Castlereagh was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales originally created in 1904, partly replacing Coonamble and named after the Castlereagh River. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into Wammerawa,...
.
Yeo was born at Cobboro, near Dunedoo
Dunedoo, New South Wales
Dunedoo ) is a village of 836 inhabitants situated within the Warrumbungle Shire of central western New South Wales, Australia. Dunedoo is well known to Australian travellers due to its distinctive name...
, and was educated at the Tooraweenah
Tooraweenah, New South Wales
Tooraweenah is a small village just off the Newell Highway about north east of Gilgandra in the central west of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Tooraweenah had a population of 239....
and Dunedoo public schools. He became a farmer of sheep, wheat, and rice, and owned 'Wattle View', a property at Tooraweenah. He was the secretary of the Tooraweenah Agricultural Society, and was involved with the Railway League, Farmers and Settlers' Association and Grazier's Association. He was elected to the Gilgandra Shire council in 1928, serving until 1931; he was also elected to the state council of the Country Party in 1933.
Yeo entered state politics at the 1932 election
New South Wales state election, 1932
The 1932 New South Wales state election was held on 11 June 1932. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 30th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting...
, when he was preselected as the Country Party candidate for the Labor-held seat of Castlereagh
Electoral district of Castlereagh
Castlereagh was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales originally created in 1904, partly replacing Coonamble and named after the Castlereagh River. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into Wammerawa,...
, held by Joseph Clark. The 1932 election followed the Governor's dismissal of the Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
Labor government, and the conservative parties won in a landslide; Yeo easily won Castlereagh. He held the seat in 1932 and 1938, and became Country Party Whip before being appointed Secretary for Lands on 6 November 1940, only seven months before the 1941 state election
New South Wales state election, 1941
The 1941 New South Wales state election was held on 10 May 1941. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 33nd New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting....
.
The electoral redistribution before the 1941 election weakened Yeo's margin in Castlereagh, and he chose to contest the open seat of Liverpool Plains
Electoral district of Liverpool Plains
Liverpool Plains was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1859 and including the Liverpool Plains and the extensive pastoral district around the Gwydir River in the northwest of the state. It was created when the seat of...
that year. However, the conservative government lost office, and he was defeated in the attempt to move seats; his party also lost Castlereagh. He contested a 1942 by-election for the seat of Dubbo
Electoral district of Dubbo
Dubbo is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Troy Grant of the National Party of Australia....
and his old seat of Castlereagh at the 1944 election
New South Wales state election, 1944
The 1944 New South Wales state election was held on 27 May 1944. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1940 redistribution...
, but was defeated both times. He subsequently retired from elective politics, but continued to serve on the state council of the Country Party until 1946.
Yeo subsequently moved to Leeton
Leeton, New South Wales
Leeton is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Leeton is situated approximately 550 km west of Sydney and 450 km north of Melbourne in the productive Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Leeton is administered by Leeton Shire Council...
in the early 1950s, and died there in 1976.