Walter Lee (Australian politician)

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix = The Hon. Sir
name = Walter Lee
honorific-suffix = KCMG


imagesize =
small

caption = Portrait by Jack Cato
order = 24th
office = Premier of Tasmania
term_start = 15 April 1916
term_end = 12 August 1922
deputy =
governor =
predecessor = John Earle
successor = John Hayes
constituency = Wilmot
majority =
term_start2 = 14 August 1923
term_end2 = 25 October 1923
deputy2 =
governor2 =
predecessor2 = John Hayes
successor2 = Joseph Lyons
term_start3 = 15 March 1934
term_end3 = 22 June 1934
deputy3 =
governor3 =
predecessor3 = John McPhee
successor3 = Albert Ogilvie
birth_date = birth date|1874|4|27
birth_place = Longford, Tasmania
death_date = death date and age|1963|6|1|1874|4|27
death_place = Westbury, Tasmania, Australia
restingplace =
restingplacecoordinates =
birthname = Walter Henry Lee
nationality =
party = Nationalist
otherparty = Anti-Socialist
Liberal
spouse = Margaret Matilda Barnes
religion = Methodist

Sir Walter Henry Lee KCMG (27 April 1874 – 1 June 1963) was an Australian politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He was Premier of Tasmania on three occasions: from 15 April 1916 to 12 August 1922; from 14 August 1923 to 25 October 1923; and from 15 March 1934 to 22 June 1934.

Lee was born in Longford in Tasmania's north-east, where he was educated to primary level at Longford State School. He joined his father's business, and later went into business with his brother as a wheelwright with Lee Bros.

Lee was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly at the 1909 election, representing the rural seat of Wilmot for the Anti-Socialist Party. In 1912, the party became the Commonwealth Liberal Party, and would later become the Nationalist Party. In 1915, Lee became Leader of the Opposition, and after the Liberals won 15 out of 30 seats at the 1916 election, Lee was sworn in as Premier of Tasmania (also serving as Minister for Education; and Chief Secretary until 1922). In spite of World War I, the first term of Lee's government was relatively smooth, and as the Nationalist Party, they retained government in the 1919 election with a one-seat majority.Scott Bennett, [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100049b.htm Lee, Sir Walter Henry (1874 - 1963)] , "Australian Dictionary of Biography", Volume 10, Melbourne University Press, 1986, pp 52-53.]

At the 1922 election, the emergence of the Country Party split the anti-Labor vote. With the Country Party holding the balance of power, but openly antagonistic towards him, Lee resigned as Premier (after a record term) and handed over to John Hayes, who was unanimously elected premier in a coalition government, with Lee as Treasurer.Scott Bennett, [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090244b.htm Hayes, John Blyth (1868 - 1956)] , "Australian Dictionary of Biography", Volume 9, Melbourne University Press, 1983, pp 239-240.] Unable to resolve Tasmania's financial crisis, Hayes resigned after a year and Lee became premier again, albeit only for ten weeks after he was defeated by a Labor no-confidence motion, and Labor's Joseph Lyons became Premier.

Lee became Premier for a third time in 1934, when as Deputy Premier he took over for John McPhee, who retired due to ill-health. His term lasted for three months, when Labor won the 1934 election, although he remained as Leader of the Opposition until July 1936. He lost his seat in the 1946 election, where he ran as an Independent Liberal after failing to secure endorsement from the new Liberal Party of Australia.

He was made Knight Bachelor in 1920, and a KCMG in 1922.

References

External links

* [http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/History/tasparl/leew308.htm Parliament of Tasmania profile]