John McPherson

John Abel McPherson (28 January 1860 – 13 December 1897) was the first leader of the South Australian division of the Australian Labor Party, then United Labor Party. He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and migrated with his wife to Adelaide in 1882, joining the South Australian Typographical Society and working as a printer.

McPherson played a big part in the building and management of the South Australian Trades Hall, home of the United Trades and Labor Council (UTLC) of which he became an honorary secretary in 1890. A pioneer in the Australian labour movement, he was an effective conciliator in disputes between employers and butchers, drivers, tanners and carriers, and maritime workers over shorter hours and wage regulation.

A UTLC meeting with the purpose of creating an elections committee was convened on 12 December 1890, and held on 7 January 1891. The elections committee was formed, officially named the "United Labor Party of South Australia" with McPherson the founding secretary. On 23 January 1892, McPherson won a by-election in the seat of East Adelaide, becoming the first Labor member of the South Australian House of Assembly, and the first parliamentary Labor leader of South Australia, at the age of 32.

His maiden speech deplored non-European immigration, noted the hundreds of unemployed in city and country, and advocated opening up the land to smallholders and a progressive land tax. He sat on the shops and factories commission which advocated consolidation and simplification of the Health Act and new laws to cover factories and working conditions. He was also supportive of giving women the right to vote. McPherson was a frequent contributor in the House on Federation, giving characteristically cautious support - from the point of view of democracy, he was fearful of the power of the Senate.

With no clear majority in the lower house, several changes of Premier occurred. At the April 1893 election, the voluntary turnout rate increased from 53 to 67 percent, with Labor on 19 percent of the vote, and 10 Labor candidates including McPherson were elected to the 54-member House of Assembly which gave Labor the balance of power. The liberal government of Charles Kingston was formed with the support of Labor, ousting the conservative government of John Downer. Kingston at times was accused by McPherson of conservatism and threatened to withdraw support, in the pursuit of Labor policies that either side of the house would approximate to. Labor gained a 5.5 percent swing and another two seats at the April 1896 election.

Kingston served as Premier for a then-record of six and a half years implementing legislation usually with Labor support, however Cancer struck McPherson by August 1897, and passed away in December, aged 37 years and 11 months. His funeral was attended by 1,000 mourners, who followed his coffin to West Terrace cemetery. An oil portrait by Mrs E. Anson was presented to the Trades Hall and an inscription from Robert Browning carved on his tombstone:

One who never turned his back but marched breast forward...

References

* [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100349b.htm Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* [http://elections.uwa.edu.au/ UWA state and federal election results]
* [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=9N87xauZghkC&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=%22united+labor+party%22+south+australia+mcpherson&source=web&ots=E_xpRBG1o7&sig=LR9rzQwYgi2VnG0WMba98X-Vuo4&hl=en Sound of Trumpets: History of the Labour Movement in South Australia, By Jim Moss - Google Books]