Henry Woodward (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Henry Phipps John Woodward (4 April 1898 – 3 April 1966) was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for a single term between 1944 and 1947. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party
.
, England
and was the son of a General dealer (Rag and bone man
). He was educated to elementary level in England and initially worked with his father but later became a produce agent and farmer in East Brent. Woodward migrated to Australia in 1922 and was a farm produce agent and company director. He sat in parliament as a member of the Labor Party but joined the Liberal Party
after leaving office.
after he won the seat at 1944
state election. This was a surprise result as Lane Cove was considered one of the most conservative seats in the assembly. The incumbent Democtratic Party member Herbert FitzSimons had retired and his party's new candidate was John Cramer a future Liberal
member of the Australian House of Representatives
and a cabinet minister under Robert Menzies
. The Liberal Democrat
candidate was Norman Thomas a former United Australia Party
member for the seat of Bondi
. Divisions between the two conservative parties resulted in Woodward gaining a 23% leakage of Thomas' second preferences and an 800 vote (2%) victory. The unification of New South Wales' urban conservative politicians in the Liberal Party in 1945, augured the end of Woodward's parliamentary career. He was easily defeated by Liberal candidate Ken McCaw
at the 1947
election. Woodward did not hold caucus, parliamentary or ministerial office .
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...
for a single term between 1944 and 1947. He was a member of 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...
.
Early life
Woodward was born in Brent Knoll in SomersetSomerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and was the son of a General dealer (Rag and bone man
Rag and bone man
Rag and bone man is a British phrase for a junk dealer. Historically the phrase referred to an individual who would travel the streets of a city with a horsedrawn cart, and would collect old rags for making fabric and paper, bones for making glue, scrap iron for recycling, and assorted miscellany...
). He was educated to elementary level in England and initially worked with his father but later became a produce agent and farmer in East Brent. Woodward migrated to Australia in 1922 and was a farm produce agent and company director. He sat in parliament as a member of the Labor Party but joined 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...
after leaving office.
State Parliament
Woodward entered parliament as the Labor member for Lane CoveElectoral district of Lane Cove
Lane Cove is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Anthony Roberts of the Liberal Party of Australia...
after he won the seat at 1944
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...
state election. This was a surprise result as Lane Cove was considered one of the most conservative seats in the assembly. The incumbent Democtratic Party member Herbert FitzSimons had retired and his party's new candidate was John Cramer a future 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...
member of the Australian 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....
and a cabinet minister under Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
. The Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrat Party (Australia)
The Liberal Democratic Party was an Australian political party that contested the 1943 federal election and the 1944 New South Wales state election.-Divisions in UAP:...
candidate was Norman Thomas a former 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...
member for the seat of Bondi
Electoral district of Bondi
Bondi was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1913 and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Bondi. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into Eastern Suburbs...
. Divisions between the two conservative parties resulted in Woodward gaining a 23% leakage of Thomas' second preferences and an 800 vote (2%) victory. The unification of New South Wales' urban conservative politicians in the Liberal Party in 1945, augured the end of Woodward's parliamentary career. He was easily defeated by Liberal candidate Ken McCaw
Ken McCaw
Sir Kenneth Malcolm McCaw QC , an Australian politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Lane Cove for the Liberal Party of Australia from 1947 until his retirement from political office in 1975...
at the 1947
New South Wales state election, 1947
The 1947 New South Wales state election was held on 3 May 1947. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1940 redistribution...
election. Woodward did not hold caucus, parliamentary or ministerial office .