Matthew Charlton
Encyclopedia
Matthew Charlton was an Australian Labor Party
politician.
Charlton was born at Linton
in rural Victoria but moved to Lambton, New South Wales
at the age of five. He worked as a coal miner after only a primary education and then married Martha Rollings in 1889. Charlton had an interest in politics from his early middle age, and joined union strikes against wage reductions in 1896.
After a two-year stint in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
, Charlton returned to Lambton and rejoined the local colliery workers' union, becoming its treasurer in 1901. He won a by-election for the NSW seat of Waratah in 1903 and transferred to Northumberland
in 1904.
In 1910
Charlton won the seat of Hunter
and rose through the ranks of Andrew Fisher
's government, then staying with the Australian Labor Party
during its period in opposition. Charlton rose through the ranks to become party leader in 1922. He lost his first election campaign, partly because he was hospitalised with illness during its course. In 1924 Charlton was invited to a meeting of the League of Nations
(now United Nations
) but was unsuccessful in getting Australia to adopt the Geneva Protocol
, established during the meeting.
Due to union strikes in 1925, Charlton and his party lost the election
held that year and he resigned in 1928. He died on 8 December 1948.
, a small town near Ballarat
that today has less than 500 residents. He was born to Matthew Charlton, an English miner from Durham, and Mabel (née Foard). In 1871, the five-year-old Charlton's father moved with his family to Lambton
, a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales
. After primary education at Lambton Public School, Charlton began work at Lambton Colliery as a coal trapper
; a children's-only job opening trapdoors for coal carts. When too old for the job, Charlton was given a job at the coal-face. At 23 he married Martha Rollings at nearby New Lambton
.
. Though Charlton supported the struggle against wage reductions, his efforts failed and he moved, along with many other miners, to the goldfields near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
. After two years in Western Australia, Charlton returned to Lambton and became an official in the Colliery Employees' Federation, becoming treasurer in 1901. While working as treasurer, Charlton also prepared arbitration cases. Battling for an improvement in mine workers' conditions, he attended a trade union congress in November 1902. Here he moved for nationalisation of the coal mining industry, believing it would 'eliminate cut-throat competition between owners that depressed miners' wages and conditions'. His calls were dismissed as too radical but a compromise was drawn up urging state governments to reconsider their use of coal mines.
. His representation of that district was short-lived, as the next year he transferred to Northumberland
, replacing John Norton
. Charlton became the unofficial spokesperson for the miners, speaking principally about mining matters in parliament. In 1909 a coal miners' strike struck New South Wales and Charlton was called upon by the Colliery Employees' Federation to represent it in front of a wage board. Charlton was unsuccessful in gaining better conditions for the miners but he did settle the dispute, talking to miners around the state and convincing them to return to work. He resigned from state politics and in 1910
Charlton wrested the federal Division of Hunter
from the sitting Frank Liddell
.Hunter has remained a safe Labor seat ever since.
and was promoted to the temporary chairmanship of committees in the House in 1913, however Charlton threatened to resign in 1915 over a dispute in government delays in granting the committee increased powers. Fisher mollified him and in 1916 Charlton proved his loyalty to the new Labor leader Billy Hughes
by voting for Hughes' conscription referendum bill, even though he was vehemently opposed to conscription
and fought hard against it. However, Charlton seemed to accept the affirmative result of the referendum and again proved his loyalty to Hughes by defending him when he became the target of caucus criticism. Charlton attempted to deflect attacks made on Hughes to a party conference, but Hughes left the party before a decision could be made.
The new Labor leader Frank Tudor
was a weak leader in health and political prowess. A successor-designate was chosen by the caucus but it was not Charlton. T. J. Ryan
was chosen over him, but he died in 1921 and Charlton filled the deputy leadership position. During election year, 1922, Tudor died also, and Charlton became Leader of the Opposition going into the 1922 election
.
. Labor remained in opposition.
Because of great losses during World War I
, Charlton opposed military training and commitments of Australian forces. In 1924 Charlton was invited to a League of Nations
(now United Nations
) conference in Geneva, Switzerland. At the conference Charlton strongly opposed war, and the Geneva Protocol
took form. Upon his return to Australia, Charlton advocated adoption of the protocol, but the government sided with the British and refused to observe it.
Charlton lost the 1925 election
, largely due to his stance on industrial relations and continual militant union action which plagued his campaign. Charlton always aided in maintaining amicable relations in the party and many times lent his expertise to conflicts within the NSW branch of the Labor Party. He resigned from his positions on 29 March 1928. His successor James Scullin
went on to become the Prime Minister of Australia
, something Charlton never managed to do.
). On 8 December 1948 Charlton died at Lambton, New South Wales
, where he grew up and had lived most of his life.
The Division of Charlton
in the Hunter Valley
region is named in his honour and has been a safe Labor
seat since its creation in 1984.
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...
politician.
Charlton was born at Linton
Linton, Victoria
Linton is a town in Victoria, Australia off Glenelg Highway. It was first settled about 1840. The town was named after a pioneer family in an area. At the 2006 census, Linton had a population of 355. The Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary lies to the south-east of the township, near Springdallah Creek.-...
in rural Victoria but moved to Lambton, New South Wales
Lambton, New South Wales
Lambton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district.- Early days :Originally a coal-mining township, Lambton was incorporated as a Municipality , on 24 June 1871. The 1891 Census gave the population as 3,434...
at the age of five. He worked as a coal miner after only a primary education and then married Martha Rollings in 1889. Charlton had an interest in politics from his early middle age, and joined union strikes against wage reductions in 1896.
After a two-year stint in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
, Charlton returned to Lambton and rejoined the local colliery workers' union, becoming its treasurer in 1901. He won a by-election for the NSW seat of Waratah in 1903 and transferred to Northumberland
Electoral district of Northumberland
Northumberland was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1859 to 1913, in the Newcastle area and named after Northumberland County. It elected two members simultaneously between 1880 and 1887 and three members between 1887 and 1894...
in 1904.
In 1910
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...
Charlton won the seat of Hunter
Division of Hunter
The Division of Hunter is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in northern rural New South Wales, and encompasses much of the Hunter Valley region, including the towns of Singleton, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Cessnock and Denman...
and rose through the ranks of Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher was an Australian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister on three separate occasions. Fisher's 1910-13 Labor ministry completed a vast legislative programme which made him, along with Protectionist Alfred Deakin, the founder of the statutory structure of the new nation...
's government, then staying with 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...
during its period in opposition. Charlton rose through the ranks to become party leader in 1922. He lost his first election campaign, partly because he was hospitalised with illness during its course. In 1924 Charlton was invited to a meeting of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
(now United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
) but was unsuccessful in getting Australia to adopt the Geneva Protocol
Geneva Protocol
The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol, is a treaty prohibiting the first use of chemical and biological weapons. It was signed at Geneva on June 17, 1925 and entered...
, established during the meeting.
Due to union strikes in 1925, Charlton and his party lost the election
Australian federal election, 1925
Federal elections were held in Australia on 14 November 1925. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 22 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
held that year and he resigned in 1928. He died on 8 December 1948.
Early life
Little is recorded about Charlton's early life, as he grew up in a relatively unknown mining district. It is known, however, that Charlton was born on 15 March 1866 in Linton, VictoriaLinton, Victoria
Linton is a town in Victoria, Australia off Glenelg Highway. It was first settled about 1840. The town was named after a pioneer family in an area. At the 2006 census, Linton had a population of 355. The Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary lies to the south-east of the township, near Springdallah Creek.-...
, a small town near Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
that today has less than 500 residents. He was born to Matthew Charlton, an English miner from Durham, and Mabel (née Foard). In 1871, the five-year-old Charlton's father moved with his family to Lambton
Lambton, New South Wales
Lambton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district.- Early days :Originally a coal-mining township, Lambton was incorporated as a Municipality , on 24 June 1871. The 1891 Census gave the population as 3,434...
, a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
. After primary education at Lambton Public School, Charlton began work at Lambton Colliery as a coal trapper
Hurrying
A hurrier, also sometimes called a coal drawer or coal thruster, was a child or woman employed by a collier to transport the coal that they had mined. Women would normally get the children to help them because of the difficulty of carrying the coal...
; a children's-only job opening trapdoors for coal carts. When too old for the job, Charlton was given a job at the coal-face. At 23 he married Martha Rollings at nearby New Lambton
New Lambton, New South Wales
New Lambton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, located west of the city centre. Its eastern boundary is the Great Northern Railway, where it is served by Adamstown railway station...
.
Emerging interest in politics
In 1896 plans to reduce coal workers' wages drew widespread criticism and strike actionStrike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
. Though Charlton supported the struggle against wage reductions, his efforts failed and he moved, along with many other miners, to the goldfields near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
. After two years in Western Australia, Charlton returned to Lambton and became an official in the Colliery Employees' Federation, becoming treasurer in 1901. While working as treasurer, Charlton also prepared arbitration cases. Battling for an improvement in mine workers' conditions, he attended a trade union congress in November 1902. Here he moved for nationalisation of the coal mining industry, believing it would 'eliminate cut-throat competition between owners that depressed miners' wages and conditions'. His calls were dismissed as too radical but a compromise was drawn up urging state governments to reconsider their use of coal mines.
State political career
Colleagues urged Charlton to stand for the state electoral district of Waratah, and on 5 December 1903 Charlton became the second member for the district in the New South Wales Legislative AssemblyNew 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...
. His representation of that district was short-lived, as the next year he transferred to Northumberland
Electoral district of Northumberland
Northumberland was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1859 to 1913, in the Newcastle area and named after Northumberland County. It elected two members simultaneously between 1880 and 1887 and three members between 1887 and 1894...
, replacing John Norton
John Norton (Australian journalist)
John Norton, , was an English-born Australian journalist, editor and member of the New South Wales Parliament. He was a writer and newspaper proprietor best known for his Sydney newspaper the Truth...
. Charlton became the unofficial spokesperson for the miners, speaking principally about mining matters in parliament. In 1909 a coal miners' strike struck New South Wales and Charlton was called upon by the Colliery Employees' Federation to represent it in front of a wage board. Charlton was unsuccessful in gaining better conditions for the miners but he did settle the dispute, talking to miners around the state and convincing them to return to work. He resigned from state politics and in 1910
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...
Charlton wrested the federal Division of Hunter
Division of Hunter
The Division of Hunter is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in northern rural New South Wales, and encompasses much of the Hunter Valley region, including the towns of Singleton, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Cessnock and Denman...
from the sitting Frank Liddell
Frank Liddell
Frank Liddell was an Australian politician. Born in Maitland, New South Wales, he was educated at Sydney Grammar School and subsequently attended the University of Edinburgh. He returned as a doctor to Maitland, and was elected to West Maitland Council...
.Hunter has remained a safe Labor seat ever since.
Early federal career
Charlton was an immediate success with Andrew FisherAndrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher was an Australian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister on three separate occasions. Fisher's 1910-13 Labor ministry completed a vast legislative programme which made him, along with Protectionist Alfred Deakin, the founder of the statutory structure of the new nation...
and was promoted to the temporary chairmanship of committees in the House in 1913, however Charlton threatened to resign in 1915 over a dispute in government delays in granting the committee increased powers. Fisher mollified him and in 1916 Charlton proved his loyalty to the new Labor leader Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
by voting for Hughes' conscription referendum bill, even though he was vehemently opposed to 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 fought hard against it. However, Charlton seemed to accept the affirmative result of the referendum and again proved his loyalty to Hughes by defending him when he became the target of caucus criticism. Charlton attempted to deflect attacks made on Hughes to a party conference, but Hughes left the party before a decision could be made.
The new Labor leader Frank Tudor
Frank Tudor
Francis Gwynne "Frank" Tudor was an Australian-born felt hatter and politician. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1916 till his death.-Early life:...
was a weak leader in health and political prowess. A successor-designate was chosen by the caucus but it was not Charlton. T. J. Ryan
T. J. Ryan
Thomas Joseph "T.J." Ryan was Premier of Queensland, Australia from May 1915 until October 1919 when he resigned to enter Federal politics.-Early life:Thomas Joseph Ryan was born at Port Fairy, Victoria...
was chosen over him, but he died in 1921 and Charlton filled the deputy leadership position. During election year, 1922, Tudor died also, and Charlton became Leader of the Opposition going into the 1922 election
Australian federal election, 1922
Federal elections were held in Australia on 16 December 1922. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes lost its majority...
.
Leader of the Opposition
Charlton offered alternative policies and looked to be favourite until he was hospitalised with illness halfway through the campaign. Labor still won the most seats as a single party, but Charlton was unable to defeat a strong government coalitionCoalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
. Labor remained in opposition.
Because of great losses during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Charlton opposed military training and commitments of Australian forces. In 1924 Charlton was invited to a League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
(now United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
) conference in Geneva, Switzerland. At the conference Charlton strongly opposed war, and the Geneva Protocol
Geneva Protocol
The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol, is a treaty prohibiting the first use of chemical and biological weapons. It was signed at Geneva on June 17, 1925 and entered...
took form. Upon his return to Australia, Charlton advocated adoption of the protocol, but the government sided with the British and refused to observe it.
Charlton lost the 1925 election
Australian federal election, 1925
Federal elections were held in Australia on 14 November 1925. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 22 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
, largely due to his stance on industrial relations and continual militant union action which plagued his campaign. Charlton always aided in maintaining amicable relations in the party and many times lent his expertise to conflicts within the NSW branch of the Labor Party. He resigned from his positions on 29 March 1928. His successor 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...
went on to become the Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, something Charlton never managed to do.
Final years
Following his six years of service as Labor leader, Charlton took an interest in local government and became an alderman on the Lambton Council from 1934-38 (prior to its merger with the City of NewcastleCity of Newcastle
Newcastle City Council is a Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.-Demographics:According to the Australian Bureau Statistics the City of Newcastle had an estimated resident population of 154,777 as of 30 June 2008...
). On 8 December 1948 Charlton died at Lambton, New South Wales
Lambton, New South Wales
Lambton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district.- Early days :Originally a coal-mining township, Lambton was incorporated as a Municipality , on 24 June 1871. The 1891 Census gave the population as 3,434...
, where he grew up and had lived most of his life.
The Division of Charlton
Division of Charlton
The Division of Charlton is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1984 and is named for Matthew Charlton, who was Leader of the Australian Labor Party 1922-28. It is located in the Hunter Valley area of New South Wales, including the coal-mining towns of...
in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
region is named in his honour and has been a safe Labor
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...
seat since its creation in 1984.