Thomas Brown (New South Wales politician)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Brown was an Australia
n farmer and politician, born near Forbes, New South Wales
, to Mitchell Brown, a domestic servant, and his wife Isabella, née Abernethy.
Brown studied at St Andrew's College
, University of Sydney
, intending to enter the Presbyterian ministry, but was forced to withdraw due to health problems. He remained a preacher and married his cousin Louisa Jane Brown on 15 December 1897 at Chalmers Church in Redfern
.
Representing Forbes at the first Farmers and Settlers' Association conference in 1893, Brown was a skilled advocate, and was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
as the Labor
Member for Condobolin
in 1894. He was a free trade
r and supported Sir George Reid
against Sir William Lyne
and William Holman
, and also attended the interstate conference for the formation of a federal Labor Party in 1900.
Brown resigned from New South Wales Parliament in 1901 and, in a surprising turn of events, defeated Bernhard Wise for the seat of Canobolas
. He became known as the "Bannerman" of the parliament, and by 1906, when Canobolas had been replaced with Calare
, he was usually referred to as "Honest Tom" Brown. He was easily elected to Calare, and his standing in parliament was shown when he was sent as part of the Australian delegation to the coronation of King George V
in 1911. He also became the first secretary of the Empire Parliamentary Association in Australia.
Defeated in Calare in 1913, Brown returned to New South Wales politics as the member for Lachlan
, where he remained well-known as a supporter of rural interests. Defeated by Ernest Buttenshaw
in 1917, he worked for a temperance
organisation before becoming secretary to the Prime Minister, Billy Hughes
.
Brown remained active in the Presbyterian community. In 1909 he was behind the public discussion on social issues which led to the famous clash between Prime Minister Andrew Fisher
and Rev. John Ferguson
. He was a councillor of the Scots College
in Sydney and in 1915 was a member of the Council for Civil and Moral Advancement. He died of cerebral haemorrhage at his home in Randwick
on 23 March 1934, survived by his wife and three children (a daughter and two sons).
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 farmer and politician, born near Forbes, New South Wales
Forbes, New South Wales
-Notable residents:*Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court*NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes....
, to Mitchell Brown, a domestic servant, and his wife Isabella, née Abernethy.
Brown studied at St Andrew's College
St Andrew's College, Sydney
St Andrew's College is a Protestant co-residential college within the University of Sydney, in the suburb of Camperdown.-History:St Andrew's College was incorporated by Act of Parliament and received Royal Assent from Queen Victoria on 12 December 1867. The St Andrew's College Act 1998 replaced the...
, University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, intending to enter the Presbyterian ministry, but was forced to withdraw due to health problems. He remained a preacher and married his cousin Louisa Jane Brown on 15 December 1897 at Chalmers Church in Redfern
Redfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
.
Representing Forbes at the first Farmers and Settlers' Association conference in 1893, Brown was a skilled advocate, and was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
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...
as the 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...
Member for Condobolin
Electoral district of Condobolin
Condobolin was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1894 to 1901, in the Condobolin area.-Members for Condobolin:...
in 1894. He was a free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
r and supported Sir George Reid
George Reid (Australian politician)
Sir George Houstoun Reid, GCB, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales and the fourth Prime Minister of Australia....
against Sir William Lyne
William Lyne
Sir William John Lyne KCMG , Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales and a member of the first federal ministry.-Early life:...
and William Holman
William Holman
William Arthur Holman was an Australian Labor Party Premier of New South Wales, Australia, who split with the party on the conscription issue in 1916 during World War I, and immediately became Premier of a conservative Nationalist Party Government.-Early life:Holman was born in St Pancras, London,...
, and also attended the interstate conference for the formation of a federal Labor Party in 1900.
Brown resigned from New South Wales Parliament in 1901 and, in a surprising turn of events, defeated Bernhard Wise for the seat of Canobolas
Division of Canobolas
The Division of Canobolas was an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1901, and was one of the original 75 divisions to be contested at the first federal election. It was abolished in 1906, when the Division of Calare was created. It was named for Mount...
. He became known as the "Bannerman" of the parliament, and by 1906, when Canobolas had been replaced with Calare
Division of Calare
The Division of Calare is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was first contested at the 1906 election and is named for the local Aboriginal name for the Lachlan River, which runs through the western part of the division...
, he was usually referred to as "Honest Tom" Brown. He was easily elected to Calare, and his standing in parliament was shown when he was sent as part of the Australian delegation to the coronation of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in 1911. He also became the first secretary of the Empire Parliamentary Association in Australia.
Defeated in Calare in 1913, Brown returned to New South Wales politics as the member for Lachlan
Electoral district of Lachlan
Lachlan was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. During the first two Parliaments , there was an electorate in the same area called Lachlan and Lower Darling, named after the Lachlan and Darling Rivers. Lachlan was created in 1859 and...
, where he remained well-known as a supporter of rural interests. Defeated by Ernest Buttenshaw
Ernest Buttenshaw
Ernest Albert Buttenshaw was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1917 until 1932. He was a member of the Nationalist Party of Australia until 1920, when he helped to establish the Progressive Party. After 1925 he was a member of its successor, the...
in 1917, he worked for a temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
organisation before becoming secretary to the Prime Minister, Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
.
Brown remained active in the Presbyterian community. In 1909 he was behind the public discussion on social issues which led to the famous clash between Prime Minister 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...
and Rev. John Ferguson
John Ferguson (clergyman)
Rev. John Ferguson was a Scottish born Australian Presbyterian minister.-Early life:John Ferguson was born on 27 December 1852, at Shiels, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the third son of William Ferguson, a farmer, and his wife Elizabeth, née Mitchell...
. He was a councillor of the Scots College
The Scots College
For other schools with a similar name see Scots College.The Scots College is an independent Presbyterian day and boarding school for boys, located in Bellevue Hill, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
in Sydney and in 1915 was a member of the Council for Civil and Moral Advancement. He died of cerebral haemorrhage at his home in Randwick
Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
on 23 March 1934, survived by his wife and three children (a daughter and two sons).