Alick Kay
Encyclopedia
Alick Dudley Kay was an Australia
n politician and Domain
orator. He is described by the Australian Dictionary of Biography
as a "harmless ratbag".
Kay was born in the Sydney
suburb of Petersham, New South Wales
and educated at Petersham and Stanmore
public schools. He worked in a wholesale warehouse and in 1913 married Mary Elizabeth Clasby, a 52-year-old widow with five children (one of her sons, John Clasby
, was briefly a federal MP). He was given a state funeral. Alick became a clerk with New South Wales Government Railways
and joined the army in 1915.
Kay ran unsuccessfully for the federal
seat of South Sydney
for the Nationalist Party
in 1917. In 1918 he left the Nationalists and started appearing regularly as an anti-Communist speaker at Sydney Domain
. He also travelled regularly to Melbourne
to orate next to the Yarra
. In 1925, he won one of the five seats of North Shore
under proportional representation
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
as an independent. In parliament, he regularly voted with Labor to the horror of his former supporters. Under the electoral system, the Australian Labor Party
automatically won his position if he resigned, so Jack Lang
offered him a position on the Metropolitan Meat Board in 1926 as a consumers' representative. The Thomas Bavin government passed legislation in 1927 to remove him from the board. After Lang's return to power in 1930, he was reappointed to the board, but was sacked again by the Bertram Stevens government.
In 1933, Kay travelled to England. His wife had died and he married Dorothy Edith Gamson at Islington
in June 1943. He later claimed to have worked for the British Department of Information during World War II
. In 1951, he returned to Sydney, and resumed speaking at the Domain on Sundays. He died in the Sydney suburb of Mosman
, survived by his wife.
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 and Domain
The Domain, Sydney
The Domain is 34 hectares of open space in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Sydney central business district, near Woolloomooloo. The Domain adjoins the Royal Botanic Gardens and is managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust, a division of the New South...
orator. He is described by the Australian Dictionary of Biography
Australian Dictionary of Biography
The Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
as a "harmless ratbag".
Kay was born in the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
suburb of Petersham, New South Wales
Petersham, New South Wales
Petersham is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Petersham is located 6 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Marrickville Council...
and educated at Petersham and Stanmore
Stanmore, New South Wales
Stanmore is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. Stanmore is located 6 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Marrickville Council.-History:...
public schools. He worked in a wholesale warehouse and in 1913 married Mary Elizabeth Clasby, a 52-year-old widow with five children (one of her sons, John Clasby
John Clasby
John Joseph Clasby was an Australian politician. Born in Warragul, Victoria, he was educated in Victoria before serving in World War I from 1914-17. He became a commercial travellor and lecturer on his return...
, was briefly a federal MP). He was given a state funeral. Alick became a clerk with New South Wales Government Railways
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
and joined the army in 1915.
Kay ran unsuccessfully for the federal
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....
seat of South Sydney
Division of South Sydney
The Division of South Sydney was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the south of the city of Sydney....
for 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...
in 1917. In 1918 he left the Nationalists and started appearing regularly as an anti-Communist speaker at Sydney Domain
The Domain, Sydney
The Domain is 34 hectares of open space in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Sydney central business district, near Woolloomooloo. The Domain adjoins the Royal Botanic Gardens and is managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust, a division of the New South...
. He also travelled regularly 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 orate next to the Yarra
Yarra
Yarra may refer to:* the Yarra River, a river in southern Victoria on which the city of Melbourne was founded* Yarra Trams, a public transport company specialising in trams in Melbourne, Australia...
. In 1925, he won one of the five seats of North Shore
Electoral district of North Shore
North Shore is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Jillian Skinner of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
under proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
in 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...
as an independent. In parliament, he regularly voted with Labor to the horror of his former supporters. Under the electoral system, 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...
automatically won his position if he resigned, so Jack 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...
offered him a position on the Metropolitan Meat Board in 1926 as a consumers' representative. The Thomas Bavin government passed legislation in 1927 to remove him from the board. After Lang's return to power in 1930, he was reappointed to the board, but was sacked again by the Bertram Stevens government.
In 1933, Kay travelled to England. His wife had died and he married Dorothy Edith Gamson at Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
in June 1943. He later claimed to have worked for the British Department of Information during 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...
. In 1951, he returned to Sydney, and resumed speaking at the Domain on Sundays. He died in the Sydney suburb of Mosman
Mosman, New South Wales
Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Mosman.-Localities:In February...
, survived by his wife.