Joseph Collings
Encyclopedia
Joseph Silver Collings was a long-serving Australia
n politician. He was a hardworking Australian Labor Party
bureaucrat with valuable writing and speaking talents, who was eventually rewarded by a five-year stint as a federal government minister.
Collings was born in Brighton
, England
and educated at Brighton Board School and by his parents. He reported for the Sussex Daily News before emigrating with his parents to Brisbane
when he was 18. He worked as a farm labourer, failed as a selector
and, in 1885, married Kate McInerney. He found work in the footwear industry and was at one time secretary of the Queensland Boot and Shoe Manufacturers' Association. He worked with "scabs
" during a strike in 1895 and was ostracised by the Boot Trade Union although he worked hard for the labour movement. His support for the 1912 Brisbane general strike
led to him being forgiven by the unions and he subsequently established the Queensland Federated Clerks Union
.
in 1908, 1909, and 1915, but was elected to Balmoral
Shire Council from 1910 to 1913. He attended Labor Party
conventions from 1905 and was elected to the Queensland central executive of the party between 1913 and 1928. From 1914 to 1915 and 1919 to 1931 he was an organiser for the party. In 1916 he campaigned vigorously against conscription
in Queensland and Victoria. He was appointed to the Queensland Legislative Council
in 1920 and took part in the successful vote to abolish it in 1922. In 1931 he was organizing secretary for the provisional State executive set up by the federal party to replace the expelled Lang Labor
executive.
Collings was elected the Australian Senate
in 1931
and became Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in 1935 and Leader of the Government in the Senate with the coming to power of the Curtin
government in October 1941. At the same time he became Minister for the Interior
, a position he held until July 1945, when he became Vice-President of the Executive Council
, a position he held until November 1946. He did not contest the 1949 election
and retired from the Senate in June 1950 and settled in the Brisbane
seaside suburb of Brighton
.
Along with Gordon Brown
, Collings was joint Father of the Senate from 1947 to 1950.
Collings died at Brighton in 1955, survived by one son and one daughter of his six children.
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. He was a hardworking 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...
bureaucrat with valuable writing and speaking talents, who was eventually rewarded by a five-year stint as a federal government minister.
Collings was born in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, 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 educated at Brighton Board School and by his parents. He reported for the Sussex Daily News before emigrating with his parents to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
when he was 18. He worked as a farm labourer, failed as a selector
Selection (Australian history)
Selection referred to "free selection before survey" of crown land in some Australian colonies under land legislation introduced in the 1860s. These acts were similar to the United States Homestead Act and were intended to encourage closer settlement, based on intensive agriculture, such as...
and, in 1885, married Kate McInerney. He found work in the footwear industry and was at one time secretary of the Queensland Boot and Shoe Manufacturers' Association. He worked with "scabs
Strikebreaker
A strikebreaker is a person who works despite an ongoing strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who are not employed by the company prior to the trade union dispute, but rather hired prior to or during the strike to keep the organisation running...
" during a strike in 1895 and was ostracised by the Boot Trade Union although he worked hard for the labour movement. His support for the 1912 Brisbane general strike
1912 Brisbane General Strike
The 1912 Brisbane General Strike in Queensland, Australia, began when members of the Australian Tramway Employees Association were dismissed when they wore union badges to work on 18 January 1912...
led to him being forgiven by the unions and he subsequently established the Queensland Federated Clerks Union
Australian Services Union
The Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union, which operates under the trading name of the Australian Services Union or ASU, is a trade union that represents members in a variety of industries.-Union history:...
.
Political career
Collings unsuccessfully contested elections to the Queensland Legislative AssemblyQueensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
in 1908, 1909, and 1915, but was elected to Balmoral
Balmoral, Queensland
Balmoral is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia, located 9 kilometres east of the CBD.Balmoral is an anglicisation of Baile Mhoireil which is Scottish Gaelic for ‘beautiful residence’ or ‘majestic castle’....
Shire Council from 1910 to 1913. He attended 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...
conventions from 1905 and was elected to the Queensland central executive of the party between 1913 and 1928. From 1914 to 1915 and 1919 to 1931 he was an organiser for the party. In 1916 he campaigned vigorously against 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...
in Queensland and Victoria. He was appointed to the Queensland Legislative Council
Queensland Legislative Council
The Queensland Legislative Council was the upper house of the parliament in the Australian state of Queensland. It was a fully nominated body which first took office on 1 May 1860. It was abolished by the Constitution Amendment Act 1921, which took effect on 23 March 1922.Consequently, the...
in 1920 and took part in the successful vote to abolish it in 1922. In 1931 he was organizing secretary for the provisional State executive set up by the federal party to replace the expelled 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:...
executive.
Collings was elected 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,...
in 1931
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...
and became Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in 1935 and Leader of the Government in the Senate with the coming to power of the Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
government in October 1941. At the same time he became Minister for the Interior
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
, a position he held until July 1945, when he became 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....
, a position he held until November 1946. He did not contest the 1949 election
Australian federal election, 1949
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1949. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives, and 42 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, where the single transferable vote was introduced...
and retired from the Senate in June 1950 and settled in the Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
seaside suburb of Brighton
Brighton, Queensland
Brighton is the northernmost suburb of Brisbane City, Australia, located 19 km north of the Brisbane CBD. The Nashville locality makes up much of the southwest of the suburb.Brighton features mostly suburban housing...
.
Along with Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown (Australian politician)
Gordon Brown was a long-serving Australian politician.Born in Derbyshire, England, he was educated at Clay Cross Grammar School before becoming a printer and engineer. He migrated to Australia in 1912, where he became an organiser of the Shop Assistants' Union and of the Socialist Party...
, Collings was joint Father of the Senate from 1947 to 1950.
Collings died at Brighton in 1955, survived by one son and one daughter of his six children.