Patrick Lynch (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Patrick Joseph Lynch was an Australia
n politician.
Lynch was born in Skeark, County Meath
, Ireland
and educated at Cormeen National School and Bailieborough
Model School, County Cavan
. He migrated to Queensland
in 1886 and cut railway sleepers near Charleville
and then travelled to the Croydon
goldfields. In 1888 he started to work on ships operating along the Australian coast and in the South Pacific
, eventually qualifying as a marine engineer. He worked as an engineer on a sugar plantation in Fiji
and then on the Kalgoorlie
goldfields in Western Australia. He helped found and Goldfields and Engine-drivers' Association and was its general secretary from 1897 to 1904. He married Annie Cleary in 1901.
from 1901 to 1904. He was elected unopposed for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
seat of Mount Leonora
in 1904, representing the Australian Labor Party
and became Minister for Works in the first Western Australian Labor government
, led by Henry Daglish
in June 1905, but it fell in August.
Lynch was elected to the Australian Senate
in the 1906 elections. In 1916, he became the first chairman of the River Murray Commission
. During World War I
, he was the first Federal Labor parliamentarian to advocate conscription
and along with Billy Hughes
, stopped attending the parliamentary caucus of the party on 14 November 1916. Hughes appointed him Minister for Works and Railways in his National Labor Party
ministry
that day, but he lost this position in the 17 February 1917 ministry
to make room for a former Commonwealth Liberal Party
member. He was expelled from the state branch of the Australian Labor Party in March 1917. He was President of the Senate
from August 1932 to June 1938, but was beaten at the 1937 elections
.
Lynch married Mary Brown in 1933. He ran unsuccessfully for the state seat of Geraldton
in 1939. He died at Mount Lawley
, survived by his wife and two daughters and a son of his first marriage.
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.
Lynch was born in Skeark, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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...
and educated at Cormeen National School and Bailieborough
Bailieborough
Bailieborough or Bailieboro is a medium-sized town in the townland of Tanderagee, County Cavan, Ireland.Bailieborough is a thriving town in co cavan and is also experiencing a large population increase, its population now stands at 3,908+ which makes it the second largest town in Cavan.The town is...
Model School, County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He migrated to 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...
in 1886 and cut railway sleepers near Charleville
Charleville, Queensland
Charleville is a town in south western Queensland, Australia, 758 kilometres by road west of Brisbane . It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Murweh Shire, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres...
and then travelled to the Croydon
Croydon, Queensland
Croydon is a town in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, the town and surrounding area had a population of 255.-History:The historic goldrush town of Croydon is located in the heart of the Gulf Savannah, 562 km west of Cairns. Croydon was a large pastoral holding covering an area of...
goldfields. In 1888 he started to work on ships operating along the Australian coast and in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, eventually qualifying as a marine engineer. He worked as an engineer on a sugar plantation in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and then on the Kalgoorlie
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...
goldfields in Western Australia. He helped found and Goldfields and Engine-drivers' Association and was its general secretary from 1897 to 1904. He married Annie Cleary in 1901.
Political career
Lynch was a member of the Boulder Municipal District councilCity of Kalgoorlie-Boulder
The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a Local Government Area in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, about east of the state capital, Perth. The City covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of Kalgoorlie; all but 244 of the city's population live either in...
from 1901 to 1904. He was elected unopposed for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
seat of Mount Leonora
Electoral district of Mount Leonora
Mount Leonora was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1904 to 1930.The district was located in the Goldfields region, and was based in the town of Leonora. It was generally a Labor seat, although sitting member George Foley sided with...
in 1904, representing 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 became Minister for Works in the first Western Australian Labor government
Daglish ministry
The Daglish Ministry was the 7th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia and was led by Labor Premier Henry Daglish. It succeeded the James Ministry on 10 August 1904 after the 1904 election boosted Labor's seat count from 8 to 22 in the 50-seat Legislative Assembly...
, led by Henry Daglish
Henry Daglish
Henry Daglish was the sixth Premier of Western Australia and the state's first Labor Premier.Henry Daglish was born in Ballarat West, Victoria on 18 November 1866. He was educated in Geelong, and attended Melbourne University...
in June 1905, but it fell in August.
Lynch was elected to 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 the 1906 elections. In 1916, he became the first chairman of the River Murray Commission
Murray-Darling Basin Commission
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is the principal government agency in charge of managing the Murray-Darling Basin in an integrated and sustainable manner. The Authority is the statutory agency that manages, in conjunction with the Basin states, the Murray–Darling Basin’s water resources in the...
. 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...
, he was the first Federal Labor parliamentarian to advocate 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 along with Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
, stopped attending the parliamentary caucus of the party on 14 November 1916. Hughes appointed him Minister for Works and Railways in his National Labor Party
National Labor Party
The National Labor Party was the name used by the Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes for himself and his followers after he was expelled from the Australian Labor Party in November 1916 over his pro-conscription stance in relation to World War I...
ministry
Second Hughes Ministry
The Second Hughes Ministry was the thirteenth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 14 November 1916 to 17 February 1917.National Labor Party*Rt Hon Billy Hughes, MP: Prime Minister, Attorney-General*Senator Hon George Pearce: Minister for Defence...
that day, but he lost this position in the 17 February 1917 ministry
Third Hughes Ministry
The Third Hughes Ministry was the fourteenth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 17 February 1917 to 5 May 1917.Nationalist Party of Australia*Rt Hon Billy Hughes, MP: Prime Minister, Attorney-General*Rt Hon Joseph Cook, MP: Minister for the Navy...
to make room for a former Commonwealth Liberal Party
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
member. He was expelled from the state branch of the Australian Labor Party in March 1917. He was President of the Senate
President of the Australian Senate
The President of the Australian Senate is the presiding officer of the Australian Senate, the upper house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer of the lower house is the Speaker of the House of Representatives....
from August 1932 to June 1938, but was beaten at the 1937 elections
Australian federal election, 1937
Federal elections were held in Australia on 23 October 1937. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
.
Lynch married Mary Brown in 1933. He ran unsuccessfully for the state seat of Geraldton
Electoral district of Geraldton
Geraldton is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.Geraldton was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election...
in 1939. He died at Mount Lawley
Mount Lawley, Western Australia
Mount Lawley is an inner suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Most of the suburb lies within the Local Government Area of the City of Stirling and small portions are in the City of Vincent and City of Bayswater...
, survived by his wife and two daughters and a son of his first marriage.