Lou Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Lucien Lawrence "Lou" Cunningham (4 June 1889 – 23 March 1948) was an Australia
n farmer and politician. He was born at Inverell, New South Wales
, to a farmer, Eugene Cunningham, and his wife Mary, née Edgeworth, both born in Ireland
. He was educated at Goonoowigall Public School and eventually ran the family farm; he also became involved in the Australian Workers' Union
.
Cunningham was president of the local branches of the No Conscription League
and the Australian Labor Party
, and, having failed to enter the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
in 1917 via the seat of Gough
, he defeated Labor defector William Webster
in 1919 to take the seat of Gwydir
in the Australian House of Representatives
. Cunningham was known as a devout Catholic
, and was a staunch opponent of communism
. He was promoted to the executive of the party, but lost Gwydir to Aubrey Abbott
of the Country Party in 1925.
Cunningham again became a farmer and married Catherine Crosby at Coogee
on 3 September 1927. He attempted to regain Gwydir in 1928 but failed, but the following year regained it, largely as a result of James Scullin
's influence as Prime Minister. Cunningham was nominated as Deputy Speaker
in 1931, but Charles McGrath
refused to resign and the move failed. Unlike many colleagues, Cunningham remained loyal to the Labor Party through its many splits, and (being tall and around 108 kg) was nicknamed "the Goonoowigall Giant" and "Australia's biggest cabinet minister". He lost his seat at the Scullin Government's landslide loss in 1931 and, although he attempted to return as a candidate for East Sydney
in 1932, he was defeated by a Lang Labor
candidate.
Cunningham was a staunch opponent of Jack Lang
and his party, and stood for the Legislative Assembly seat of Coogee
after Lang's removal as leader. Surprisingly he won in 1941, partly due to his own political skills and partly due to the invigorated Labor under William McKell
. Cunningham retained the seat until his death on 23 March 1948 of a coronary occlusion
; he was survived by his wife and two sons.
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 farmer and politician. He was born at Inverell, New South Wales
Inverell, New South Wales
Inverell is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands. It has a temperate climate...
, to a farmer, Eugene Cunningham, and his wife Mary, née Edgeworth, both born in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was educated at Goonoowigall Public School and eventually ran the family farm; he also became involved in the Australian Workers' Union
Australian Workers' Union
The Australian Workers' Union is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s, and currently has approximately 135,000 members...
.
Cunningham was president of the local branches of the No Conscription League
No conscription league
-Formation:The No Conscription League was founded by anarchist Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman in 1917 in response to the draft in WWI. It was enforced by the Selective Service Act of 1917, which granted the federal government the right to raise a national army...
and 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...
, and, having failed to enter the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
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...
in 1917 via the seat of Gough
Electoral district of Gough
Gough was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, which replaced Glen Innes and part of Gwydir in 1904 and was named after the Gough County, which includes the town of Glen Innes...
, he defeated Labor defector William Webster
William Webster (Australian politician)
William Webster was an Australian politician. Born in Everton, Lancashire in England, he was the son of John Webster, a labourer, and Elizabeth, née Poynton. Leaving school at 13, Webster migrated to New South Wales in 1879 and, having quarried stone at Pyrmont and saved prodigiously, was able to...
in 1919 to take the seat of Gwydir
Division of Gwydir
The Division of Gwydir was an Australian 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...
in 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....
. Cunningham was known as a devout Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, and was a staunch 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...
. He was promoted to the executive of the party, but lost Gwydir to Aubrey Abbott
Aubrey Abbott
Charles Lydiard Aubrey Abbott was an Australian politician and administrator of the Northern Territory. He was born at St Leonards, Sydney, to Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, a magistrate, and Marion, née Lydiard...
of the Country Party in 1925.
Cunningham again became a farmer and married Catherine Crosby at Coogee
Coogee, New South Wales
Coogee is a beachside suburb of local government area City of Randwick. It is located 8 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is also a part of the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney....
on 3 September 1927. He attempted to regain Gwydir in 1928 but failed, but the following year regained it, largely as a result of James Scullin
James Scullin
James Henry Scullin , Australian Labor politician and the ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Two days after he was sworn in as Prime Minister, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred, marking the beginning of the Great Depression and subsequent Great Depression in Australia.-Early life:Scullin was...
's influence as Prime Minister. Cunningham was nominated as Deputy Speaker
Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer in the upper house is the President of the Senate....
in 1931, but Charles McGrath
Charles McGrath
David Charles McGrath was an Australian politician. Originally a member of the Australian Labor Party, he joined Joseph Lyons in the split that led to the formation of the United Australia Party.-Early life:...
refused to resign and the move failed. Unlike many colleagues, Cunningham remained loyal to the Labor Party through its many splits, and (being tall and around 108 kg) was nicknamed "the Goonoowigall Giant" and "Australia's biggest cabinet minister". He lost his seat at the Scullin Government's landslide loss in 1931 and, although he attempted to return as a candidate for 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 1932, he was defeated by a 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:...
candidate.
Cunningham was a staunch opponent of Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
and his party, and stood for the Legislative Assembly seat of Coogee
Electoral district of Coogee
Coogee is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Bruce Notley-Smith of the Liberal Party.-Members for Coogee:-Election results:...
after Lang's removal as leader. Surprisingly he won in 1941, partly due to his own political skills and partly due to the invigorated Labor under William McKell
William McKell
Sir William John McKell GCMG , Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales from 1941 to 1947, and was the 12th Governor-General of Australia. He was also the oldest Governor General of Australia, at 93 when he died....
. Cunningham retained the seat until his death on 23 March 1948 of a coronary occlusion
Coronary occlusion
A coronary occlusion is the partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. This condition may cause a heart attack.In some patients coronary occlusion causes only mild pain, tightness or vague discomfort which may be ignored: the myocardium is however damaged....
; he was survived by his wife and two sons.