James Catts
Encyclopedia
James Howard Catts was an Australia
n politician, unionist and businessman.
to joiner and grocer James Catts and Amy, née Hedger. He lived with his paternal grandfather at Stanmore
as a child, being educated until the age of 13 at Macdonaldtown Public School.
In 1894 the Catts family began a bakery in Forbes
, which young James helped to run. At the age of 17, he became the secretary of the Farmers and Settlers' and the Progress associations at Forbes, and was general secretary of the United Progress Association of New South wales from 1900-03. He was also organising secretary of the New South Wales Temperance
Alliance, and held other prominent positions in railway unions. From 1913-14 he became general secretary of the Australian Union Federation and president of the Australasian Labour Federation, and founded the United Secretaries' Association in 1915.
candidate for Granville
. He became the youngest member of the Australian House of Representatives
in 1906 when he was elected to the seat of Cook
at the age of 28, and became associated with King O'Malley
and Billy Hughes
. He became known as a protectionist and nationalist in Parliament. In Sydney
on 12 August 1907, he married Eva Alice Weber; they were divorced in 1920.
Catts became director of the Federal and State Labor campaigns in New South Wales from 1914-22. He was also the director of voluntary recruiting in New South Wales 1915-16, producing the weekly magazine Call to Arms. He was also an opponent of communism
and conscription
, and was prosecuted for asserting that Japan
hoped to annexe Australia
. He married for the second time on 8 September 1920, again at Sydney, Dorothy Marguerite Purcell.
Catts was expelled from the Labor Party in 1922 having been accused of sectarianism, and unsuccessfully ran at the elections for the Majority Labor Party
.
in 1931. He was opposed to the Lang Labor
Party, but unsuccessfully ran in East Sydney
in 1940 as a United Australia Party
candidate. In 1944, he failed to be elected to Sydney Municipal Council
, and subsequently retired.
In his retirement, Catts became secretary and treasurer of the New South Wales branch of the British Astronomical Association
, devoting more time to his hobby of astronomy
. He died on 26 November 1951 at Huntleys Point
, and was survived by his second wife, their son and three daughters.
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, unionist and businessman.
Early life
Catts was born at Wagga Wagga, New South WalesWagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
to joiner and grocer James Catts and Amy, née Hedger. He lived with his paternal grandfather at 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:...
as a child, being educated until the age of 13 at Macdonaldtown Public School.
In 1894 the Catts family began a bakery in Forbes
Forbes, New South Wales
-Notable residents:*Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court*NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes....
, which young James helped to run. At the age of 17, he became the secretary of the Farmers and Settlers' and the Progress associations at Forbes, and was general secretary of the United Progress Association of New South wales from 1900-03. He was also organising secretary of the New South Wales Temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
Alliance, and held other prominent positions in railway unions. From 1913-14 he became general secretary of the Australian Union Federation and president of the Australasian Labour Federation, and founded the United Secretaries' Association in 1915.
Politics
Catts's first attempt to enter politics was unsuccessful, running in the 1904 State election as the LaborAustralian 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 for Granville
Electoral district of Granville
Granville is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's West. It is currently represented by Tony Issa of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
. He became the youngest 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....
in 1906 when he was elected to the seat of Cook
Division of Cook (1906-55)
The Division of Cook was an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1906 and abolished in 1955. The Division was named for James Cook, who discovered the east coast of Australia in 1770. It was located in the inner suburbs of Sydney, taking in the suburbs of...
at the age of 28, and became associated with King O'Malley
King O'Malley
King O'Malley was an Australian politician. He was a member in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1896 to 1899, and the Australian House of Representatives from 1901 to 1917. O'Malley was also Minister for Home Affairs in the second and third Fisher Labor ministry...
and Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
. He became known as a protectionist and nationalist in Parliament. In 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...
on 12 August 1907, he married Eva Alice Weber; they were divorced in 1920.
Catts became director of the Federal and State Labor campaigns in New South Wales from 1914-22. He was also the director of voluntary recruiting in New South Wales 1915-16, producing the weekly magazine Call to Arms. He was also an opponent of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
, and was prosecuted for asserting that Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
hoped to annexe Australia
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...
. He married for the second time on 8 September 1920, again at Sydney, Dorothy Marguerite Purcell.
Catts was expelled from the Labor Party in 1922 having been accused of sectarianism, and unsuccessfully ran at the elections for the Majority Labor Party
Majority Labor Party
The Majority Labor Party, sometimes called the Majority Australian Labor Party, was an Australian political party formed by federal Australian Labor Party MP James Catts in 1922. It did not win any seats in parliament....
.
Later life
Catts continued to be active in the Labor Party, running unsuccessfully as the Federal Labor candidate for MartinDivision of Martin
The Division of Martin was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the inner western suburbs of Sydney, and initially included the suburbs of Concord and Mortlake, although by the time it was abolished in 1955, it had moved to cover Abbotsford, Balmain...
in 1931. He was opposed to the Lang Labor
Lang Labor
Lang Labor was the name commonly used to describe three successive break-away sections of the Australian Labor Party, all led by the New South Wales Labor leader Jack Lang premier of NSW .-Initial opposition to Lang's leadership:...
Party, but unsuccessfully ran in East Sydney
Division of East Sydney
The Division of East Sydney was anAustralian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It was abolished in 1969. It was named for the suburb of East Sydney. It was located in the inner...
in 1940 as a 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...
candidate. In 1944, he failed to be elected to Sydney Municipal Council
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
, and subsequently retired.
In his retirement, Catts became secretary and treasurer of the New South Wales branch of the British Astronomical Association
British Astronomical Association
The British Astronomical Association is the senior national association of amateur astronomers in the UK.-Function:It encourages observational astronomy by non-professionals in areas which cannot be covered by professional observatories...
, devoting more time to his hobby of astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. He died on 26 November 1951 at Huntleys Point
Huntleys Point, New South Wales
Huntleys Point is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Huntleys Point is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Hunter's Hill...
, and was survived by his second wife, their son and three daughters.