Electoral district of Subiaco
Encyclopedia
The Electoral district of Subiaco was a Legislative Assembly
electorate
in the state
of Western Australia
. The district was named for the inner western Perth
suburb of Subiaco
, which fell within its borders. It was normally a safe seat for the Liberal Party
and its predecessors, but was won on several occasions by Labor in landslide
elections.
Subiaco was a new seat created under the Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1899, which took effect at the 1901 election
, where it was won by Labor
candidate Henry Daglish
. In 1903, he became leader of the eight-member Parliamentary Labor Party, succeeding Robert Hastie
, and in a want of confidence motion on 10 August 1904 following the 1904 election, he became Premier
at the head of a minority government supported by four independents. His government collapsed just over a year later, and Daglish resigned from the Labor Party. After accepting the post of Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Assembly in 1907, he joined the Ministerial faction of the party, later becoming Minister for Works.
He was unexpectedly defeated by a relatively unknown Labor candidate, Bartholomew Stubbs, at the 1911 election
. Stubbs held the seat until his death in overseas combat on 26 September 1917, following which a Nationalist
candidate, Samuel Brown, won the seat at a by-election. He was defeated at the 1921 election by the National Labor
candidate, Walter Richardson
—the only occasion on which the party ever gained a seat it did not already hold at an election.
Richardson held the seat until the 1933 election
, where in circumstances not dissimilar to 1911, he lost the seat to a Labor candidate. However, it was regained three years later for the Nationalists by Florence Cardell-Oliver, who went on to hold the seat for 20 years. On her retirement, Labor candidate Percival Potter won the seat at the 1956 election—a landslide for Labor—for a single term.
Hugh (later Sir Hugh) Guthrie held the seat until his retirement in 1971, and was followed by local GP
Dr Tom Dadour. The seat's final member, elected after Dadour's retirement, was Carmen Lawrence
, later to become Premier
. The seat was abolished at the 1989 election
and its voters were divided between the new seat of Glendalough
and the existing seats of Floreat
and Nedlands
.
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
electorate
Electoral districts of Western Australia
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly is elected from 59 single-member electoral districts. These districts are often referred to as electorates or seats....
in the state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The district was named for the inner western Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
suburb of Subiaco
Subiaco, Western Australia
Subiaco is an inner western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, situated to the north west of Kings Park. Its Local Government Area is the City of Subiaco.-History:Prior to European settlement the area was home to the Noongar Indigenous people....
, which fell within its borders. It was normally a safe seat for the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
and its predecessors, but was won on several occasions by Labor in landslide
Landslide victory
In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
elections.
Subiaco was a new seat created under the Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1899, which took effect at the 1901 election
Western Australian state election, 1901
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 24 April 1901 to elect 50 members to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly...
, where it was won by Labor
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 Henry Daglish
Henry Daglish
Henry Daglish was the sixth Premier of Western Australia and the state's first Labor Premier.Henry Daglish was born in Ballarat West, Victoria on 18 November 1866. He was educated in Geelong, and attended Melbourne University...
. In 1903, he became leader of the eight-member Parliamentary Labor Party, succeeding Robert Hastie
Robert Hastie
Robert Hastie was an Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Kanowna in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1901 to 1905. He was Minister for Justice and Mines from 1904 to 1905 and Minister for Justice and Labour in 1905....
, and in a want of confidence motion on 10 August 1904 following the 1904 election, he became Premier
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
at the head of a minority government supported by four independents. His government collapsed just over a year later, and Daglish resigned from the Labor Party. After accepting the post of Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Assembly in 1907, he joined the Ministerial faction of the party, later becoming Minister for Works.
He was unexpectedly defeated by a relatively unknown Labor candidate, Bartholomew Stubbs, at the 1911 election
Western Australian state election, 1911
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 3 October 1911 to elect 50 members to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. The Labor party, led by Opposition Leader John Scaddan, defeated the conservative Ministerialist government led by Premier Frank Wilson...
. Stubbs held the seat until his death in overseas combat on 26 September 1917, following which a Nationalist
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...
candidate, Samuel Brown, won the seat at a by-election. He was defeated at the 1921 election by the National Labor
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...
candidate, Walter Richardson
Walter Richardson
Walter C. Richardson 1885 1998) was an American supercentenarian. He was the last known surviving man who was born in 1885. He became the world's oldest verified man on 17 July 1998, upon the death of 113-year-old Johnson Parks at the age of 112 years, 252 days, until his own death on Christmas...
—the only occasion on which the party ever gained a seat it did not already hold at an election.
Richardson held the seat until the 1933 election
Western Australian state election, 1933
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 8 April 1933 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The one-term Nationalist-Country coalition government, led by Premier Sir James Mitchell, was defeated by the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Philip Collier.The election...
, where in circumstances not dissimilar to 1911, he lost the seat to a Labor candidate. However, it was regained three years later for the Nationalists by Florence Cardell-Oliver, who went on to hold the seat for 20 years. On her retirement, Labor candidate Percival Potter won the seat at the 1956 election—a landslide for Labor—for a single term.
Hugh (later Sir Hugh) Guthrie held the seat until his retirement in 1971, and was followed by local GP
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
Dr Tom Dadour. The seat's final member, elected after Dadour's retirement, was Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Mary Lawrence is a retired Australian politician; a former Premier of Western Australia and the first woman to become Premier of a State of the Commonwealth of Australia....
, later to become Premier
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
. The seat was abolished at the 1989 election
Western Australian state election, 1989
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 4 February 1989 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and all 34 members to the Legislative Council...
and its voters were divided between the new seat of Glendalough
Electoral district of Glendalough
The Electoral district of Glendalough was a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. The district was named for the inner northern Perth suburb of Glendalough, which fell within its borders. The seat was abolished after two terms at the 1994 redistribution, taking effect...
and the existing seats of Floreat
Electoral district of Floreat
Floreat was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1968 to 1996.The district was based in the inner northwestern suburbs of Perth and was created in the 1966 redistribution...
and Nedlands
Electoral district of Nedlands
The Electoral district of Nedlands is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Nedlands is named for the inner western Perth suburb of Nedlands which falls within its borders.-History:...
.
Members for Subiaco
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Daglish Henry Daglish Henry Daglish was the sixth Premier of Western Australia and the state's first Labor Premier.Henry Daglish was born in Ballarat West, Victoria on 18 November 1866. He was educated in Geelong, and attended Melbourne University... |
Labor 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... |
1901–1905 | |
| Independent Labor | 1905–1908 | ||
| Ministerial | 1908–1911 | ||
| Bartholomew Stubbs | Labor | 1911–1917 | |
| Samuel Brown | Nationalist 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... |
1917–1921 | |
| Walter Richardson Walter Richardson Walter C. Richardson 1885 1998) was an American supercentenarian. He was the last known surviving man who was born in 1885. He became the world's oldest verified man on 17 July 1998, upon the death of 113-year-old Johnson Parks at the age of 112 years, 252 days, until his own death on Christmas... |
National Labor 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... |
1921–1925 | |
| Nationalist | 1925–1933 | ||
| John Moloney John Moloney (Australian politician) John Daniel Moloney was an Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Subiaco in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1933 to 1936.... |
Labor | 1933–1936 | |
| Florence Cardell-Oliver | Nationalist | 1936–1945 | |
| Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
1945–1956 | ||
| Percival Potter | Labor | 1956–1959 | |
| Hugh Guthrie | Liberal | 1959–1971 | |
| Tom Dadour | Liberal | 1971–1984 | |
| Independent | 1984–1986 | ||
| Dr Carmen Lawrence Carmen Lawrence Carmen Mary Lawrence is a retired Australian politician; a former Premier of Western Australia and the first woman to become Premier of a State of the Commonwealth of Australia.... |
Labor | 1986–1989 | |