Frank Tudor
| The Honourable Frank Tudor |
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|---|---|
 |
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| Leader of the Opposition Elections: 1917, 1919 |
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| In office 14 November 1916 – 10 January 1922 |
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| Prime Minister | Billy Hughes |
| Deputy | Albert Gardiner |
| Preceded by | Joseph Cook |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Charlton |
| Leader of the Labor Party | |
| In office 14 November 1916 – 10 January 1922 |
|
| Deputy | Albert Gardiner |
| Preceded by | Billy Hughes |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Charlton |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Yarra | |
| In office 30 March 1901 – 10 January 1922 |
|
| Preceded by | Seat created |
| Succeeded by | James Scullin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 January 1866 Williamstown, Victoria |
| Died | 10 January 1922 (age 55) Richmond, Victoria |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Fanny Jane Mead |
Francis Gwynne "Frank" Tudor (29 January 1866 – 10 January 1922) was an Australian-born felt hatter and politician. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1916 until his death.
Contents
Early life
Tudor was born to John Llewellyn Tudor, a ballastman, and Ellen Charlotte Tudor, née Burt, both of Welsh origin, on 29 January 1866 at Williamstown, Victoria. However, the family soon moved to the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, where Tudor lived most of his life.[1]
Upon leaving Richmond Central State School, and after short spells in a sawmill and a boot factory, Tudor entered the felt hat industry. Tudor apprenticed in Abbotsford and then travelled across Victoria in the hat trade. Tudor went to England, working in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester, marrying Alice Smale in Denton, Lancashire in 1894. Smale died the same year, but Tudor continued in the felt hat trade by moving to London and becoming vice-president of the local branch of the Felt Hatters' Union. In 1897 Tudor remarried to Fanny Jane Mead.[1]
As vice-president of the union Tudor became interested in union politics (as many Labor politicians were before their entry into politics) and persuaded the British unions to adopt the union label principle. Returning to Australia, Tudor worked at Abbotsford's mills and took a seat in the Victorian Trades Hall Council. In 1900 he became president.[1]
Entry into politics
A prominent figure in Richmond, Victoria, Tudor turned the Division of Yarra into the safest Labor seat in the country by winning that seat by a large margin in the 1901 federal election. Tudor was a deacon of the Congregational Church and angered some Protestants with his calls for Home Rule for Ireland.[1]
Tudor was immediately elected the Labor Party's whip and assistant secretary. He ascended to the position of secretary in 1904, then Minister for Trade and Customs during the three Fisher ministries, from 1908–1909, 1910–1913, 1914–1915.[2] When Billy Hughes replaced Andrew Fisher as the Prime Minister, Tudor continued in the role of Minister for Trade and Customs until 1916, when he resigned from the Hughes ministry over his opposition to conscription.[1]
Leader of the Opposition
Hughes left the Labor Party at the end of 1916 due to his support for World War I conscription in Australia, a policy that ran counter to Labor policy. He took 24 pro-conscription Labor MPs with him to form the National Labor Party, which merged with the Commonwealth Liberal Party later in the year to form the Nationalist Party.[3] Tudor was elected as the new leader of the Labor Party, and consequently became Leader of the Opposition as Hughes was able to stay in office as Prime Minister. Tudor led his party to a severe defeat in the 1917 federal election. The party was severely weakened by several of its early leaders following Hughes out of the party.
Hughes proved to be a popular wartime leader, and Tudor was never able to get the better of him. In 1919, T. J. Ryan, who since 1915 had been Premier of Queensland, was transferred to federal politics to serve under Tudor as a deputy. At the election later that year, Tudor led the ALP to a second heavy election loss. Tudor was increasingly seen as an ineffectual leader, and several elements were contemplating replacing him with Ryan. However, Ryan's early death in 1921 prevented him from taking Tudor's place.[1] Tudor's own health became markedly worse during 1921. He was increasingly unable to carry out his duties.
Death
On 10 January 1922, Tudor died, aged 55. He was the first leader of the Labor Party to die in office,[1] and the first Opposition Leader never to become Prime Minister. He was succeeded as the member for Yarra by future Prime Minister James Scullin.
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frank Tudor (Australian politician). |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition 1916–1922 |
Succeeded by Matthew Charlton |
| Preceded by | Minister for Trade and Customs 1908–1909 |
Succeeded by Robert Best |
| Preceded by | Minister for Trade and Customs 1910–1913 |
Succeeded by Littleton Groom |
| Preceded by | Minister for Trade and Customs 1914–1916 |
Succeeded by Billy Hughes |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of the Australian Labor Party 1916–1922 |
Succeeded by Matthew Charlton |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| New division | Member for Yarra 1901–1922 |
Succeeded by James Scullin |
- Use dmy dates from August 2013
- Commons category link is locally defined
- 1866 births
- 1922 deaths
- Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
- Australian Leaders of the Opposition
- Members of the Australian House of Representatives
- Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Yarra
- Members of the Cabinet of Australia
- Leaders of the Australian Labor Party
