Percy Abbott (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Percy Phipps Abbott CMG
(14 May 1869 – 9 September 1940) was an Australia
n soldier, politician and solicitor. Born in Hobart, Tasmania, to John William Abbott and Mary Ann, née Phipps, he was educated at The Hutchins School
in Hobart and in 1889 was sent to Sydney as an assistant to a solicitor called Thomas Creswell. He was admitted to the practice in 1894. He was an active man and participated in rowing and cricket, and also enrolled as a special constable during the wharf
labourers' strike of 1891.
practice in 1893, Abbott married Elizabeth Matilda Ross, née King, at Tamworth
on 2 September 1901, and continued to be an active sportsman. He was involved in a wide variety of local organisations, including the Northern Border Cricket Association and Glen Innes Rifle Club, as well as being a keen fisherman and racehorse breeder. He served on Glen Innes Municipal Council
(1898-1904, 1906-1914) and was mayor
from 1910-1913, as well as being president of the hospital board. In 1913, backed by the Farmers and Settlers' Association, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives
as a member of the Commonwealth Liberal Party
for the seat of New England
, which he represented until 1919 (during which time the party had morphed into the Nationalist Party
).
, moving, by 1905, to the 6th Australian Light Horse. He was a captain
by 1908 and a major
the next year, and commanded the 5th Light Horse from 1913. In March 1915 he sailed for Egypt
as a lieutenant-colonel in the Australian Imperial Force
; although his diary contains many declarations of the wickedness of Germany
, there are still strong indications of a sense of Australian egalitarianism
. He was a fierce critic of British strategy at Gallipoli, and was soon commander of the 10th Light Horse.
In October 1915 Abbott was evacuated to England
with enteric fever, where he maintained his standing by commanding the Australian staging camps. A strong supporter of conscription
who was horrified at the number of troops voting against it, he was appointed to the Order of St Michael and St George
in June 1917 and was selected as commander of the 63rd Battalion, which was disbanded before it could serve. He distinguished himself in France
with the 30th Battalion, and by the year's end was again commander of the 12th Light Horse. He was forced to return to Australia in April 1918 suffering recurrences of enteric fever, as well as a chronic eye complaint and the effects of gas, but continued to command the 12th (or, as it became, New England Light Horse) until 1929. He was awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration in 1919.
campaign for the state election, accompanying Sir Michael Bruxner
on his electoral tour. Although he failed in an attempt to be elected to the Senate
in 1922, he succeeded in taking a seat in 1925, only to lose it again in 1928. An unpredictable and sometimes bitter parliamentarian, Abbott spoke frequently on many matters and was known for his charming and humorous speeches. He sat on the 1927-29 royal commission on the Constitution, presenting several minority reports.
. Unable to settle into a quiet retirement, he established a new practice, and was a member of the Union and Civic clubs in Sydney. When he died on 9 September 1940 of asthmatic bronchitis
and heart failure, he left his wife and four children (three sons and a daughter) with a huge amount of debt (around ₤16,611).
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(14 May 1869 – 9 September 1940) was an 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 soldier, politician and solicitor. Born in Hobart, Tasmania, to John William Abbott and Mary Ann, née Phipps, he was educated at The Hutchins School
The Hutchins School
The Hutchins School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Sandy Bay, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia....
in Hobart and in 1889 was sent to Sydney as an assistant to a solicitor called Thomas Creswell. He was admitted to the practice in 1894. He was an active man and participated in rowing and cricket, and also enrolled as a special constable during the wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
labourers' strike of 1891.
Local and federal politics
Moving to a Glen InnesGlen Innes, New South Wales
Glen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...
practice in 1893, Abbott married Elizabeth Matilda Ross, née King, at Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
on 2 September 1901, and continued to be an active sportsman. He was involved in a wide variety of local organisations, including the Northern Border Cricket Association and Glen Innes Rifle Club, as well as being a keen fisherman and racehorse breeder. He served on Glen Innes Municipal Council
Glen Innes Severn Council
Glen Innes Severn Council is the name of the Local Government Area in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the New England Highway. It was formed by the amalgamation of Severn Shire and Glen Innes City Council.- Demographics :...
(1898-1904, 1906-1914) and was mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
from 1910-1913, as well as being president of the hospital board. In 1913, backed by the Farmers and Settlers' Association, he was elected to 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....
as a member of the Commonwealth Liberal Party
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
for the seat of New England
Division of New England
The Division of New England is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the north-east of the state, adjoining the border with Queensland. It includes such towns as Armidale, Ashford, Barraba, Bingara, Bundarra, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Guyra, Inverell,...
, which he represented until 1919 (during which time the party had morphed into the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
).
Military service
In 1898, Abbott joined the 4th Infantry Regiment as a second lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, moving, by 1905, to the 6th Australian Light Horse. He was a captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
by 1908 and a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
the next year, and commanded the 5th Light Horse from 1913. In March 1915 he sailed for Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
as a lieutenant-colonel in the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
; although his diary contains many declarations of the wickedness of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, there are still strong indications of a sense of Australian egalitarianism
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
. He was a fierce critic of British strategy at Gallipoli, and was soon commander of the 10th Light Horse.
In October 1915 Abbott was evacuated to 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...
with enteric fever, where he maintained his standing by commanding the Australian staging camps. A strong supporter of 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...
who was horrified at the number of troops voting against it, he was appointed to the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in June 1917 and was selected as commander of the 63rd Battalion, which was disbanded before it could serve. He distinguished himself in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with the 30th Battalion, and by the year's end was again commander of the 12th Light Horse. He was forced to return to Australia in April 1918 suffering recurrences of enteric fever, as well as a chronic eye complaint and the effects of gas, but continued to command the 12th (or, as it became, New England Light Horse) until 1929. He was awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration in 1919.
Return to politics
In 1919, having re-established himself as a solicitor, Abbott headed the Country Party's New EnglandNew England (Australia)
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The region has been occupied by Indigenous...
campaign for the state election, accompanying Sir Michael Bruxner
Michael Bruxner
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Michael Frederick Bruxner KBE, DSO, JP was an Australian politician and soldier, serving for many years as Leader of the Country Party and its predecessors...
on his electoral tour. Although he failed in an attempt to be elected to the 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 1922, he succeeded in taking a seat in 1925, only to lose it again in 1928. An unpredictable and sometimes bitter parliamentarian, Abbott spoke frequently on many matters and was known for his charming and humorous speeches. He sat on the 1927-29 royal commission on the Constitution, presenting several minority reports.
Later life
Abbott sold his firm in 1932 to his eldest son and retired to TamworthTamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
. Unable to settle into a quiet retirement, he established a new practice, and was a member of the Union and Civic clubs in Sydney. When he died on 9 September 1940 of asthmatic bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
and heart failure, he left his wife and four children (three sons and a daughter) with a huge amount of debt (around ₤16,611).