Henry Gullett
Encyclopedia
Sir Henry Somer Gullett KCMG
(26 March 1878 – 13 August 1940) was an Australian Cabinet Minister and member of the House of Representatives
Gullett was born at Toolamba West
, Victoria and educated at state schools, but left school at twelve on the death of his father. He began writing for newspapers. In 1908 he travelled to London as a journalist and in 1914 published a handbook on Australian rural life, The Opportunity in Australia to promote emigration to Australia. He married Elizabeth Penelope Frater in 1912 and they had a son and a daughter.
In 1915, Gullett became an official Australian correspondent on the Western Front
. In July 1916, he joined the first Australian Imperial Force
(AIF) as a gunner. From early 1917 he worked with Charles Bean
in collecting war records and later with the AIF as a war correspondent in Palestine
. In 1919, he was briefly director of the Australian War Museum
. He started writing volume VII of The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918
, covering the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
, which he completed in 1922. In 1920, Billy Hughes
appointed him head of the Australian Immigration Bureau, but he resigned in February 1922 over disagreements in relation to immigration policy and returned to journalism.
, but he won the seat of Division of Henty
for the Nationalist Party
in 1925 election
and held it for the rest of his life. He was Minister for Trade and Customs
from November 1928 in the third Bruce Ministry
until its fall in October 1929
. On the 1931 election
of the United Australia Party
government, he was again Minister for Trade and Customs and attended the British Empire Economic Conference
in Ottawa
, which attempted to establish Imperial Preference
, a system of tariff concession within the British Empire
. As a result he was made Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
in January 1933, but he resigned as minister on the same month on health grounds. In October 1934, he became minister without portfolio, with responsibility for trade treaties, in the second Lyons Ministry
and he negotiated several trade agreements. He resigned in March 1937 over disagreements with Cabinet
over trade policy.
In April 1939, Gullett became Minister for External Affairs
in the first Menzies Ministry
and Minister for Information from September 1939. However, when Robert Menzies
formed a coalition
with the Country Party
in March 1940, he was moved to Vice-President of the Executive Council
, and Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research
. He was killed in the Canberra air disaster
in August 1940.
He was the father of Jo Gullett
, who was Member for Henty from 1946 to 1955.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(26 March 1878 – 13 August 1940) was an Australian Cabinet Minister and member of the 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....
Gullett was born at Toolamba West
Toolamba, Victoria
Toolamba is a town in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the City of Greater Shepparton Local government area, north of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Toolamba and the surrounding area had a population of 873.The Post Office opened on 1...
, Victoria and educated at state schools, but left school at twelve on the death of his father. He began writing for newspapers. In 1908 he travelled to London as a journalist and in 1914 published a handbook on Australian rural life, The Opportunity in Australia to promote emigration to Australia. He married Elizabeth Penelope Frater in 1912 and they had a son and a daughter.
In 1915, Gullett became an official Australian correspondent on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. In July 1916, he joined the first Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
(AIF) as a gunner. From early 1917 he worked with Charles Bean
Charles Bean
Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean , usually identified as C.E.W. Bean, was an Australian schoolmaster, judge's associate, barrister journalist, war correspondent and historian....
in collecting war records and later with the AIF as a war correspondent in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. In 1919, he was briefly director of the Australian War Museum
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
. He started writing volume VII of The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918
Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918
The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 is a 12-volume series covering Australian involvement in the First World War. The series was edited by C.E.W. Bean, who also wrote six of the volumes, and was published between 1920 and 1942...
, covering the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
, which he completed in 1922. In 1920, Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
appointed him head of the Australian Immigration Bureau, but he resigned in February 1922 over disagreements in relation to immigration policy and returned to journalism.
Political career
Gullett failed to win a seat at the 1922 electionAustralian 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...
, but he won the seat of Division of Henty
Division of Henty
The Division of Henty was an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1913 and abolished in 1990. It was named for the Henty family of Portland, the first European settlers in Victoria. It was located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, including at various times...
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 1925 election
Australian federal election, 1925
Federal elections were held in Australia on 14 November 1925. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 22 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
and held it for the rest of his life. He was Minister for Trade and Customs
Minister for Trade (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Trade has been Dr. Craig Emerson since 14 September 2010.-Portfolio:Currently the Minister for Trade administers the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade jointly with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, although prior to 1987 there was a separate Department of Trade...
from November 1928 in the third Bruce Ministry
Third Bruce Ministry
The Third Bruce Ministry was the nineteenth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 29 November 1928 to 22 October 1929.Nationalist Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition...
until its fall in October 1929
Australian federal election, 1929
Federal elections were held in Australia on 12 October 1929. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election, with no Senate seats up for election, as a result of Billy Hughes and other rebel backbenchers crossing the floor over industrial relations legislation, depriving the...
. On the 1931 election
Australian federal election, 1931
Federal elections were held in Australia on 19 December 1931. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
of the United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
government, he was again Minister for Trade and Customs and attended the British Empire Economic Conference
British Empire Economic Conference
The British Empire Economic Conference was a 1932 conference of British colonies and the autonomous dominions held to discuss the Great Depression. It was held between 21 July and 20 August in Ottawa.The conference saw the group admit the failure of the gold standard and abandon attempts to...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, which attempted to establish Imperial Preference
Imperial Preference
Imperial Preference was a proposed system of reciprocally-levelled tariffs or free trade agreements between the dominions and colonies within the British Empire...
, a system of tariff concession within the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. As a result he was made Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in January 1933, but he resigned as minister on the same month on health grounds. In October 1934, he became minister without portfolio, with responsibility for trade treaties, in the second Lyons Ministry
Second Lyons Ministry
The Second Lyons Ministry was the twenty-second Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 12 October 1934 to 9 November 1934.United Australia Party*Rt Hon Joseph Lyons, MP: Prime Minister, Treasurer...
and he negotiated several trade agreements. He resigned in March 1937 over disagreements with Cabinet
Cabinet of Australia
The Cabinet of Australia is the council of senior ministers of the Crown, responsible to parliament. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister the Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, and serves at the former's pleasure. The strictly private...
over trade policy.
In April 1939, Gullett became Minister for External Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In common with international practice, the office is often informally referred to as Foreign Minister...
in the first Menzies Ministry
First Menzies Ministry
The First Menzies Ministry was the twenty-sixth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 26 April 1939 to 14 March 1940.United Australia Party*Rt Hon Robert Menzies, KC MP: Prime Minister, Treasurer...
and Minister for Information from September 1939. However, when Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
formed a coalition
Second Menzies Ministry
The Second Menzies Ministry was the twenty-seventh Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 14 March 1940 to 28 October 1940.United Australia Party–Australian Country Party Coalition...
with the 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...
in March 1940, he was moved to Vice-President of the Executive Council
Vice-President of the Executive Council
The Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council is a position in Australian federal governments, whose holder acts as presiding officer of the Federal Executive Council in the absence of the Governor-General....
, and Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Australia)
The current Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research is Kim Carr, appointed on 3 December 2007. He administers his portfolio through the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.-List of Ministers for Industry :...
. He was killed in the Canberra air disaster
Canberra air disaster, 1940
The 1940 Canberra air disaster was a plane crash that occurred near Canberra, the capital of Australia, on 13 August 1940, during World War II. The six passengers, including three members of the Australian Cabinet and the Chief of the General Staff, and the four crew were all killed...
in August 1940.
He was the father of Jo Gullett
Jo Gullett
Henry Baynton Somer 'Jo' Gullett AM MC, was an Australian soldier, politician, diplomat and journalist. He served with distinction in the Australian Army during World War II, was a controversial Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Henty from 1946 to 1955,...
, who was Member for Henty from 1946 to 1955.