Robert Stuart-Robertson
Encyclopedia
Robert James STUART-ROBERTSON (16 Sep 1866 – 2 June 1933) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1907 until his death and was the Minister for Health
for 4 months in 1927. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party
.
Stuart-Robertson was born in Booligal
and was the son of Robert John Stuart ROBERTSON, a self-proclaimed doctor, and Catherine Eleanor JOYCE. Stuart-Robertson's birth date has been claimed as 10 Aug 1874, however the date of 16 Sep 1866 is evidenced by his official birth record. He was educated to elementary level at Bourke
, where his family moved after his father's alleged death when Stuart-Robertson was 4 years old. Despite the rumour that Robert senior had died during the 1870s in Queensland, Robert senior died on 3 July 1899 at George Street Asylum, Parramatta, New South Wales.
Stuart-Robertson undertook a number of unsuccessful retail businesses in Bourke and Cobar
. During this time he became active in the ALP and was a delegate to the annual State Labor Conference. In 1905 he moved to Sydney and worked as a shop assistant. He helped to found the Shop Assistants Union.
At the 1907 general election, he was the ALP
candidate for the Legislative Assembly seat of Camperdown
and defeated the sitting member James Smith. The seat of Camperdown was abolished when NSW elections were conducted using proportional representation with multi-member seats between 1920 and 1927. During this time Stuart-Robertson was the ALP member for Balmain
. With the reintroduction of single member seats in 1927 he became the member for Annandale
, which he represented until his death.
Stuart-Robertson remained loyal to the party leader
, Mr Jack Lang
during the numerous and complex schisms that occurred in the NSW branch of the party in the 1920s and 30s (see Lang Labor
). Lang described him as a "strait-laced reformer" who dressed in a deacon's coat and objected to the advertising of alcohol. As a result he was unpopular in caucus and his only ministerial appointment was as Minister for Health in a caretaker government prior to the 1927
election. Lang formed this government solely from his supporters when he encountered significant opposition from the caucus elected cabinet.
Stuart-Robertson, under the pen name of "D ROSS" and at the time Secretary of the Cobar School of Arts, authored a novel entitled "A Woman (A Tale of Australian Life in the Early Fifties)", published in 1901 by J A Bradley of the "Cobar Leader" office, Barton Street, Cobar, New South Wales. A copy of this book is held in the rare books section of the Mitchell Library, New South Wales.
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...
from 1907 until his death and was the Minister for Health
New South Wales Department of Health
The New South Wales Department of Health, a department of the New South Wales Government, is responsibile for monitoring the performance of the public health system in New South Wales, particularly through public hospitals...
for 4 months in 1927. He was a member of 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...
.
Stuart-Robertson was born in Booligal
Booligal, New South Wales
Booligal is a village in the Riverina area of western New South Wales , Australia. It is located on the Cobb Highway, on the Lachlan River north of Hay...
and was the son of Robert John Stuart ROBERTSON, a self-proclaimed doctor, and Catherine Eleanor JOYCE. Stuart-Robertson's birth date has been claimed as 10 Aug 1874, however the date of 16 Sep 1866 is evidenced by his official birth record. He was educated to elementary level at Bourke
Bourke, New South Wales
-Transportation:Bourke can be reached by the Mitchell Highway, with additional sealed roads from town to the north , east and south . The town is also served by Bourke Airport and has Countrylink bus service to other regional centres, like Dubbo...
, where his family moved after his father's alleged death when Stuart-Robertson was 4 years old. Despite the rumour that Robert senior had died during the 1870s in Queensland, Robert senior died on 3 July 1899 at George Street Asylum, Parramatta, New South Wales.
Stuart-Robertson undertook a number of unsuccessful retail businesses in Bourke and Cobar
Cobar, New South Wales
-Notable people:*Nik Kosef, former rugby league player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, 1996 premiership player, NSW & Australia representative*Ernie Toshack, cricketer, member of Bradman's Invincibles* Jemma Heather, state representative 4 times....
. During this time he became active in the ALP and was a delegate to the annual State Labor Conference. In 1905 he moved to Sydney and worked as a shop assistant. He helped to found the Shop Assistants Union.
At the 1907 general election, he was the ALP
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...
candidate for the Legislative Assembly seat of Camperdown
Electoral district of Camperdown
Camperdown was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1904 with the division of the district of Newtown-Camperdown and named after and including the inner Sydney of Camperdown...
and defeated the sitting member James Smith. The seat of Camperdown was abolished when NSW elections were conducted using proportional representation with multi-member seats between 1920 and 1927. During this time Stuart-Robertson was the ALP member for Balmain
Electoral district of Balmain
Balmain is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's Inner West. It includes the suburbs and localities of Annandale, Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Glebe Island, Haberfield, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Rozelle,...
. With the reintroduction of single member seats in 1927 he became the member for Annandale
Electoral district of Annandale
Annandale was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1894, with the abolition of multi-member constituencies, from part of Balmain, and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Annandale. With the introduction of proportional...
, which he represented until his death.
Stuart-Robertson remained loyal to the party leader
Leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales
The leader of the ALP in the New South Wales Parliament is elected from and by the members of the party caucus, comprising all party members in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. When the Labor party forms a government the leader is the Premier and when the party is in opposition...
, Mr 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...
during the numerous and complex schisms that occurred in the NSW branch of the party in the 1920s and 30s (see 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:...
). Lang described him as a "strait-laced reformer" who dressed in a deacon's coat and objected to the advertising of alcohol. As a result he was unpopular in caucus and his only ministerial appointment was as Minister for Health in a caretaker government prior to the 1927
New South Wales state election, 1927
The 1927 New South Wales state election to elect the 90 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly was held on 8 October 1927. During the previous parliament the voting system, which had been a form of proportional representation with multi-member seats and a single transferable vote , was changed...
election. Lang formed this government solely from his supporters when he encountered significant opposition from the caucus elected cabinet.
Stuart-Robertson, under the pen name of "D ROSS" and at the time Secretary of the Cobar School of Arts, authored a novel entitled "A Woman (A Tale of Australian Life in the Early Fifties)", published in 1901 by J A Bradley of the "Cobar Leader" office, Barton Street, Cobar, New South Wales. A copy of this book is held in the rare books section of the Mitchell Library, New South Wales.