John Verran
Encyclopedia
John Verran was the 26th Premier of South Australia, serving from 1910 to 1912. The 1910 election
saw the South Australian division of the Australian Labor Party
form a majority government
, the first time a party had done so in South Australia. He was a resident of Moonta
, and was member for the South Australian House of Assembly
seat of Wallaroo from 1901 to 1918. He was also a member of the Australian Senate
from 1927 to 1928.
, Cornwall
in UK, on 9 July 1856 and when only three months old was taken by his parents to Australia
. The family lived at Kapunda, South Australia, until he was eight, and then moved to Moonta
where copper had been discovered in 1861. Verran received very little education and before he was 10 years old was working at the copper-mines as a pickey-boy, whose job it was to sort the ore above ground. He attended a night school some years later. When 18 he went to the Queensland
gold-mines but soon returned to Moonta, where he worked as a miner for nearly 40 years. He was elected president of the Moonta miners' association (the Amalgamated Miners' Association) and held this office from 1895 to 1913.
in 1909 became leader of the Labor party. The following year, he led Labor to South Australia's first majority government
in the House of Assembly
at the 1910 election
, with Labor on a primary vote of 49.1 percent and 22 of 42 seats, less than two weeks before Labor created Australia's first federal majority government and first Australian Senate
majority at the 1910 federal election
. On 3 June 1910 Verran became Premier, and was also commissioner of public works and minister of mines and of water-supply. Lasting less than 21 months, the government faced riots due to a drivers' strike in Adelaide streets, and criticism of how Verran handled the problem. Considerable sums were spent on railways and harbours. The Advances for Homes Act of 1911 allowed the State Bank of South Australia to grant loans to poorer people, but the Legislative Council
would not support the government attempts to create state brickyards and timber mills. Relations between the assembly and the council were strained, with Verran petitioning the British parliament to veto the council's decision. Verran called a 1912 election
over the power of the upper house to veto the lower, however Labor suffered a swing against them, and were left with 16 of 40 seats.
Verran was succeeded as leader of the Labor party by Crawford Vaughan
in 1913, and he broke with that party in 1917 over the conscription issue. In 1918 he stood as a Nationalist candidate and was defeated, and he was also defeated at the federal election held in 1925. In 1927 he was elected by the South Australian parliament to fill the vacancy in the federal Senate
caused by the death of Senator Charles McHugh
. He lost his seat in 1928 and henceforth lived in retirement. His wife predeceased him and he was survived by three sons and four daughters. Verran was a man of fine character whose honesty was proverbial. For many years he was a power in the Labor ranks, but his career really ended when he left the party.
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South Australian state election, 1910
State elections were held in Australia on 2 April 1910. All 42 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Democratic Union government led by Premier of South Australia Archibald Peake was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by John Verran....
saw the South Australian division 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...
form a majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
, the first time a party had done so in South Australia. He was a resident of Moonta
Moonta, South Australia
Moonta is a town located on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia, 165 kilometres north-northwest of the state capital of Adelaide. It is one of three towns known as the Copper Coast or "Little Cornwall" for their shared copper mining history....
, and was member for the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
seat of Wallaroo from 1901 to 1918. He was also a member of the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
from 1927 to 1928.
Early life
Verran was born at GwennapGwennap
Gwennap is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately five miles southeast of Redruth....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in UK, on 9 July 1856 and when only three months old was taken by his parents to 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...
. The family lived at Kapunda, South Australia, until he was eight, and then moved to Moonta
Moonta, South Australia
Moonta is a town located on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia, 165 kilometres north-northwest of the state capital of Adelaide. It is one of three towns known as the Copper Coast or "Little Cornwall" for their shared copper mining history....
where copper had been discovered in 1861. Verran received very little education and before he was 10 years old was working at the copper-mines as a pickey-boy, whose job it was to sort the ore above ground. He attended a night school some years later. When 18 he went to the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
gold-mines but soon returned to Moonta, where he worked as a miner for nearly 40 years. He was elected president of the Moonta miners' association (the Amalgamated Miners' Association) and held this office from 1895 to 1913.
Parliament
In 1901 he was elected a member of the South Australian house of assembly for Wallaroo, and on the death of PriceThomas Price
Thomas Price was a stonecutter, teacher, lay preacher, businessman, stonemason, clerk-of-works, union secretary, union president and politician...
in 1909 became leader of the Labor party. The following year, he led Labor to South Australia's first majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
in the House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
at the 1910 election
South Australian state election, 1910
State elections were held in Australia on 2 April 1910. All 42 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Democratic Union government led by Premier of South Australia Archibald Peake was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by John Verran....
, with Labor on a primary vote of 49.1 percent and 22 of 42 seats, less than two weeks before Labor created Australia's first federal majority government and first Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
majority at the 1910 federal election
Australian federal election, 1910
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 April 1910. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
. On 3 June 1910 Verran became Premier, and was also commissioner of public works and minister of mines and of water-supply. Lasting less than 21 months, the government faced riots due to a drivers' strike in Adelaide streets, and criticism of how Verran handled the problem. Considerable sums were spent on railways and harbours. The Advances for Homes Act of 1911 allowed the State Bank of South Australia to grant loans to poorer people, but the Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
would not support the government attempts to create state brickyards and timber mills. Relations between the assembly and the council were strained, with Verran petitioning the British parliament to veto the council's decision. Verran called a 1912 election
South Australian state election, 1912
State elections were held in Australia on 10 February 1912. All 40 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier of South Australia John Verran was defeated by the opposition Liberal Union led by Leader of the...
over the power of the upper house to veto the lower, however Labor suffered a swing against them, and were left with 16 of 40 seats.
Verran was succeeded as leader of the Labor party by Crawford Vaughan
Crawford Vaughan
Crawford Vaughan , was Premier of South Australia between 3 April 1915 and 14 July 1917.Vaughan unsuccessfully campaigned for a seat in the Australian House of Representatives in 1901, and for the Australian Senate in 1903...
in 1913, and he broke with that party in 1917 over the conscription issue. In 1918 he stood as a Nationalist candidate and was defeated, and he was also defeated at the federal election held in 1925. In 1927 he was elected by the South Australian parliament to fill the vacancy in the federal Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
caused by the death of Senator Charles McHugh
Charles McHugh
Charles Stephen McHugh was an Australian politician. Born in South Australia, he was educated at Catholic schools before becoming a clerk and an official with the Australian Workers' Union. He served on Thebarton Town Council before being elected to the Australian Senate in 1922 as a Labor Senator...
. He lost his seat in 1928 and henceforth lived in retirement. His wife predeceased him and he was survived by three sons and four daughters. Verran was a man of fine character whose honesty was proverbial. For many years he was a power in the Labor ranks, but his career really ended when he left the party.
External links
- John Verran profile at SA Parliament website
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