William Lambert (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
William Henry Lambert was an Australia
n politician and unionist
, serving for one term as Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1921.
, on 24 March 1881 to Irish-born stonemason James Lambert and Elizabeth, née O'Brien. He received a primary education and subsequently worked as a shearer. He soon became involved with the Australian Workers' Union
. On 9 October 1909 he married waitress Bertha Anne McConnell at Dubbo, Dubbo
. In 1915 he became secretary of the AWU's central branch.
movement during World War I
. He was elected to Sydney Municipal Council
in December 1918 and was Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1921. He used his casting vote to support Labor
policy, and was noted for preferring the Australian flag to the Union Jack.
for the seat of West Sydney
in the 1921 by-election following the death of T. J. Ryan
, representing the Australian Labor Party
. He kept a fairly low profile in Parliament
, but became intimately involved in faction
politics. His political fortunes declined after Jack Lang
became leader of the New South Wales Labor Party. As such, he lost pre-selection for West Sydney in 1928.
Lambert told the Daily Telegraph Pictorial that he had been offered ₤8000 pounds in 1925 to resign his seat in favour of Ted Theodore
. Lambert had denied this when it appeared in the Evening News in 1925, but the Bruce
government nevertheless appointed a royal commissioner, who discounted Lambert's testimony but found that William Mahony
had been compensated in such a way.
Lambert died on 6 September 1928 of heart disease
.
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
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, serving for one term as Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1921.
Early life
Lambert was born at Swallow Creek, near OrangeOrange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
, on 24 March 1881 to Irish-born stonemason James Lambert and Elizabeth, née O'Brien. He received a primary education and subsequently worked as a shearer. He soon became involved with the Australian Workers' Union
Australian Workers' Union
The Australian Workers' Union is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s, and currently has approximately 135,000 members...
. On 9 October 1909 he married waitress Bertha Anne McConnell at Dubbo, Dubbo
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 1915 he became secretary of the AWU's central branch.
Lord Mayor
Lambert was active in the anti-conscriptionConscription
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...
movement 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 elected to Sydney Municipal Council
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
in December 1918 and was Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1921. He used his casting vote to support 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...
policy, and was noted for preferring the Australian flag to the Union Jack.
Federal politics
Lambert was elected to the Australian 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....
for the seat of West Sydney
Division of West Sydney
The Division of West Sydney was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the inner western suburbs of Sydney, and at various times included the suburbs of Pyrmont, Darling Harbour, Surry Hills, Balmain and Glebe....
in the 1921 by-election following the death of T. J. Ryan
T. J. Ryan
Thomas Joseph "T.J." Ryan was Premier of Queensland, Australia from May 1915 until October 1919 when he resigned to enter Federal politics.-Early life:Thomas Joseph Ryan was born at Port Fairy, Victoria...
, 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...
. He kept a fairly low profile in Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
, but became intimately involved in faction
Political faction
A political faction is a grouping of individuals, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose. A faction or political party may include fragmented sub-factions, “parties within a party," which may be referred to as power blocs, or voting blocs. The individuals...
politics. His political fortunes declined after 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...
became leader of the New South Wales Labor Party. As such, he lost pre-selection for West Sydney in 1928.
Lambert told the Daily Telegraph Pictorial that he had been offered ₤8000 pounds in 1925 to resign his seat in favour of Ted Theodore
Ted Theodore
Edward Granville Theodore was an Australian politician. He was Premier of Queensland 1919–25, a federal politician representing a New South Wales seat 1927–31, and Federal Treasurer 1929–30.-Early life:...
. Lambert had denied this when it appeared in the Evening News in 1925, but the Bruce
Stanley Bruce
Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, CH, MC, FRS, PC , was an Australian politician and diplomat, and the eighth Prime Minister of Australia. He was the second Australian granted an hereditary peerage of the United Kingdom, but the first whose peerage was formally created...
government nevertheless appointed a royal commissioner, who discounted Lambert's testimony but found that William Mahony
William Mahony (Australian politician)
William George Mahony was an Australian politician.Born in Ireland, he migrated to Australia as a child and received a primary education before becoming a grocer's assistant. He became Secretary of the Grocers' Assistants' Union...
had been compensated in such a way.
Lambert died on 6 September 1928 of heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
.