William Murray McPherson
Encyclopedia
Sir William Murray McPherson, KBE
(17 September 1865 – 26 July 1932) was an Australia
n philanthropist
and politician. He was the 31st Premier of Victoria.
He was born in Melbourne
, the son of a prosperous Scottish-born merchant, and worked in his father's business, eventually becoming sole proprietor and managing director of McPherson's, a leading machinery firm. A very wealthy man by the early years of the 20th century, he was President of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce 1907–09. In 1892 he married Emily Jackson, with whom he had three children. In 1927 he donated £25,000 to found the Emily McPherson School of Domestic Economy, named for his wife (today, as Emily McPherson College, it is part of RMIT University
). He also funded the Jessie McPherson section (named for his mother) of the now-demolished Queen Victoria Hospital.
McPherson was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for the seat of Hawthorn
in 1913. He was Treasurer in the Nationalist
governments of John Bowser
and Harry Lawson
from 1917 to 1923, and developed a reputation as a very conservative manager of the state's finances. It was McPherson's refusal to provide funds for pensions for members of the Victoria Police
that sparked the 1923 Victorian Police strike
.
In 1927 McPherson succeeded Alexander Peacock
as leader of the Nationalist Party. In November 1928 he moved a vote of no confidence against Ned Hogan
's minority Australian Labor Party
government, which had lost the support of the independent members who were keeping it in office, and as a result he became Premier. His Cabinet included two bright young Nationalist politicians who were destined for higher things: Robert Menzies
and Wilfrid Kent Hughes
. But in July 1929 both these men joined a Cabinet revolt over McPherson's uncharacteristic agreement to offer an open-ended subsidy to rural meat-freezing works (this was a bid to win over rural independent MPs).
As a result of this and similar examples of unsustained government spending to buy off rural interest groups, Victoria by 1929 had amassed a public debt of over a million pounds, a huge amount at the time. This provoked McPherson into proposing cuts to public spending, which in turn led the country members who held the balance of power to withdraw their support from McPherson's government. As a result, he called an election at which the Nationalists won 17 seats and the Country Party
11, while Labor won 30, with seven independents.
McPherson refused to resign, but was defeated in a vote of no confidence when the new Parliament met in December. Hogan then formed a new government. McPherson resigned as Nationalist leader, and from politics, in August 1930.
He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(KBE), and died suddenly in July 1932, aged 66.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(17 September 1865 – 26 July 1932) 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 philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
and politician. He was the 31st Premier of Victoria.
He was born in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, the son of a prosperous Scottish-born merchant, and worked in his father's business, eventually becoming sole proprietor and managing director of McPherson's, a leading machinery firm. A very wealthy man by the early years of the 20th century, he was President of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce 1907–09. In 1892 he married Emily Jackson, with whom he had three children. In 1927 he donated £25,000 to found the Emily McPherson School of Domestic Economy, named for his wife (today, as Emily McPherson College, it is part of RMIT University
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
). He also funded the Jessie McPherson section (named for his mother) of the now-demolished Queen Victoria Hospital.
McPherson was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
for the seat of Hawthorn
Electoral district of Hawthorn
The Electoral district of Hawthorn is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It was first proclaimed in 1889 and has usually been a safe seat for the Liberal Party and its predecessors....
in 1913. He was Treasurer in the Nationalist
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...
governments of John Bowser
John Bowser
John Bowser , Australian politician, was the 26th Premier of Victoria. He was born in London, the son of an army officer, and arrived in Melbourne as a child with his family. He grew up at Bacchus Marsh and when he left school got a job with the Bacchus Marsh Express...
and Harry Lawson
Harry Lawson
Sir Harry Sutherland Wightman Lawson KCMG , Australian politician, was the 27th Premier of Victoria.Lawson was born in Dunolly, the son of a Presbyterian clergyman of Scottish descent. He was educated at a local school and then briefly Scotch College in Melbourne. He was a noted Australian rules...
from 1917 to 1923, and developed a reputation as a very conservative manager of the state's finances. It was McPherson's refusal to provide funds for pensions for members of the Victoria Police
Victoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
that sparked the 1923 Victorian Police strike
1923 Victorian Police strike
The 1923 Victorian Police strike occurred in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. On the eve of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival in November 1923, half the police force in Melbourne went on strike over the operation of a supervisory system using labour spies...
.
In 1927 McPherson succeeded Alexander Peacock
Alexander Peacock
Sir Alexander James Peacock, KCMG , Australian politician, was the 20th Premier of Victoria.Peacock was born of Scottish descent at Creswick, the first Victorian Premier born after the gold rush of the 1850s and the attainment of self-government in Victoria. He was distantly related to the family...
as leader of the Nationalist Party. In November 1928 he moved a vote of no confidence against Ned Hogan
Edmond Hogan
Edmond John "Ned" Hogan , Australian politician, 30th Premier of Victoria, was born in Wallace, Victoria, where his Irish-born parents were small farmers...
's minority 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...
government, which had lost the support of the independent members who were keeping it in office, and as a result he became Premier. His Cabinet included two bright young Nationalist politicians who were destined for higher things: Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
and Wilfrid Kent Hughes
Wilfrid Kent Hughes
Sir Wilfrid Selwyn Kent Hughes KBE, MVO, MC was an Australian soldier, Olympian and Olympic Games organiser, author and federal and state government minister.Kent Hughes was born in Melbourne to an upper middle-class family...
. But in July 1929 both these men joined a Cabinet revolt over McPherson's uncharacteristic agreement to offer an open-ended subsidy to rural meat-freezing works (this was a bid to win over rural independent MPs).
As a result of this and similar examples of unsustained government spending to buy off rural interest groups, Victoria by 1929 had amassed a public debt of over a million pounds, a huge amount at the time. This provoked McPherson into proposing cuts to public spending, which in turn led the country members who held the balance of power to withdraw their support from McPherson's government. As a result, he called an election at which the Nationalists won 17 seats and the Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
11, while Labor won 30, with seven independents.
McPherson refused to resign, but was defeated in a vote of no confidence when the new Parliament met in December. Hogan then formed a new government. McPherson resigned as Nationalist leader, and from politics, in August 1930.
He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(KBE), and died suddenly in July 1932, aged 66.