Michael Considine
Encyclopedia
Michael Patrick Considine (c. 26 January 1885 – 2 November 1959) was an Irish
-born Australia
n politician and unionist. He represented the seat of Barrier
in the House of Representatives
from 1917
to 1922
. A controversial figure, Considine was pressured to resign from the Australian Labor Party
(ALP). He won in 1919
as an independent before joining the Industrial Socialist Labor Party
in 1920, but his seat was abolished for the 1922 election
and he was defeated in an attempt to transfer to the seat of Darling
.
, Ireland, the son of Michael Patrick Considine and Margaret Josephine, née Lowney. He and his mother came to New South Wales
in 1890, living first at Kempsey
and then at Sydney
. He was prominent in the 1908 tramway worker strike, and was a member of the Socialist Federation of Australia, resigning in 1909 after the Broken Hill strike of 1909. In 1910, he was sentenced to six months in gaol after demonstrating against Charles Wade
's government and the gaoling of Peter Bowling
. After his release, Considine moved to Broken Hill in 1911.
During World War I
, Considine was president of the militant Amalgamated Miners' Association and was a member of the Marxist Australian Socialist Party, but he resigned from the latter due to his support for unions. At Eaglehawk, Victoria
on 23 January 1918 he married Bessie Washington.
seat of Barrier
for the Labor Party
. He immediately established himself as a spokesman of the far left wing of the party, even acting as consul for the Bolshevik
government of Russia
. He was again gaoled for three weeks in 1919 after publicly declaring, "Bugger the King, he is a bloody German bastard." He also attracted suspension from the House for asserting that the government was supporting the Kolchak forces in Russia.
Following the 1919 split in the New South Wales Labor Party, Considine was placed under considerable pressure and resigned from the party in 1920. He contested the 1922 election
as an Industrial Socialist Labor Party
candidate in the seat of Darling
and received 22.2 percent of the vote, but was unsuccessful. In 1926 he rejoined the Labor Party, but was unsuccessful in an attempt for endorsement for Darling.
in 1927 and held various occupations. He remained prominent in the union movement and continued to rebel at the 1930s-40s Labor conferences. He died suddenly on 2 November 1959 and was survived by his wife, a son, and two daughters.
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...
-born 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...
n politician and unionist. He represented the seat of Barrier
Division of Barrier
The Division of Barrier 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. It was named for the Barrier Range near the city of Broken Hill in western New South Wales...
in the 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....
from 1917
Australian federal election, 1917
Federal elections were held in Australia on 5 May 1917. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
to 1922
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...
. A controversial figure, Considine was pressured to resign from 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...
(ALP). He won in 1919
Australian federal election, 1919
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 December 1919. 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 defeated the opposition Australian...
as an independent before joining the Industrial Socialist Labor Party
Industrial Socialist Labor Party
The Industrial Socialist Labor Party was a short lived socialist political party in Australia in the late 1910s and early 1920s. It was founded by radical socialist members of the industrial wing of the Australian Labor Party , at a time when the ALP's socialist ideology was a matter of intra-party...
in 1920, but his seat was abolished for 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...
and he was defeated in an attempt to transfer to the seat of Darling
Division of Darling
The Division of Darling 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. From 1901 until 1922 it was based on Bourke, Cobar, Nyngan, Coonamble and Gilgandra. From 1906 it also...
.
Early life
Considine was born in County MayoCounty Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland, the son of Michael Patrick Considine and Margaret Josephine, née Lowney. He and his mother came to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1890, living first at Kempsey
Kempsey, New South Wales
Kempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located 15 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line cross the Macleay River...
and then at 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...
. He was prominent in the 1908 tramway worker strike, and was a member of the Socialist Federation of Australia, resigning in 1909 after the Broken Hill strike of 1909. In 1910, he was sentenced to six months in gaol after demonstrating against Charles Wade
Charles Wade
Sir Charles Gregory Wade KCMG was Premier of New South Wales 2 October 1907 – 21 October 1910. According to Percival Serle, "Wade was a public-spirited man of high character...
's government and the gaoling of Peter Bowling
Peter Bowling
Peter Bowling was an Australian coalminer and trade unionist.Bowling was born at Dunfermline in Fifeshire to miner Peter Bowling and Marguerite, née MacGuire. He started working in the mines at the age of twelve and migrated to New South Wales when he was 20, working around Newcastle. He married...
. After his release, Considine moved to Broken Hill in 1911.
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...
, Considine was president of the militant Amalgamated Miners' Association and was a member of the Marxist Australian Socialist Party, but he resigned from the latter due to his support for unions. At Eaglehawk, Victoria
Eaglehawk, Victoria
Eaglehawk is a former gold-mining town in Victoria, Australia and a suburb within the City of Greater Bendigo.The town is situated to the north-west of Bendigo on the Loddon Valley Highway. The highway is known locally as High Street until the intersection with Sailors Gully Road and as Peg Leg...
on 23 January 1918 he married Bessie Washington.
Politics
In 1917, Considine was elected to the House of RepresentativesAustralian 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....
seat of Barrier
Division of Barrier
The Division of Barrier 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. It was named for the Barrier Range near the city of Broken Hill in western New South Wales...
for the 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...
. He immediately established himself as a spokesman of the far left wing of the party, even acting as consul for the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
government of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. He was again gaoled for three weeks in 1919 after publicly declaring, "Bugger the King, he is a bloody German bastard." He also attracted suspension from the House for asserting that the government was supporting the Kolchak forces in Russia.
Following the 1919 split in the New South Wales Labor Party, Considine was placed under considerable pressure and resigned from the party in 1920. He contested 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...
as an Industrial Socialist Labor Party
Industrial Socialist Labor Party
The Industrial Socialist Labor Party was a short lived socialist political party in Australia in the late 1910s and early 1920s. It was founded by radical socialist members of the industrial wing of the Australian Labor Party , at a time when the ALP's socialist ideology was a matter of intra-party...
candidate in the seat of Darling
Division of Darling
The Division of Darling 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. From 1901 until 1922 it was based on Bourke, Cobar, Nyngan, Coonamble and Gilgandra. From 1906 it also...
and received 22.2 percent of the vote, but was unsuccessful. In 1926 he rejoined the Labor Party, but was unsuccessful in an attempt for endorsement for Darling.
Later life
Considine moved to MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1927 and held various occupations. He remained prominent in the union movement and continued to rebel at the 1930s-40s Labor conferences. He died suddenly on 2 November 1959 and was survived by his wife, a son, and two daughters.