Charles McDonald (Australian politician)

The Honourable Charles McDonald
Member of the Australian Parliament for Kennedy
In office 30 March 1901 – 13 November 1925
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Grosvenor Francis
3rd Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office 1 July 1910 – 8 July 1913
Preceded by	Charles Salmon
Succeeded by	Elliot Johnson
3rd Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives - 2nd time
In office 8 October 1914 – 13 June 1917
Preceded by	Elliot Johnson
Succeeded by	Elliot Johnson
Personal details
Born	25 August 1860(1860-08-25) North Melbourne, Victoria
Died	13 November 1925(1925-11-13) (aged 65)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Occupation	Watchmaker

Charles McDonald (25 August 1860 – 13 November 1925) was an Australian politician who served as Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives during the second and third Andrew Fisher Labor governments between 1910 and 1913 and between 1914 and 1917.

Early life and career

Charles McDonald was born in North Melbourne, Victoria in 1860. He lived a transient life as a child with his family living in four colonies. He was living in Mudgee, New South Wales, when he left school, becoming an apprentice printer. However, he later switched trades becoming a watchmaker.

Queensland Labor movement

McDonald was a watchmaker in Charters Towers in 1890 when he became the President of the Australian Labor Federation based in Brisbane. He played a leading role in the formation of the Australian Labor Party in Queensland.

He was elected in 1893 as Member for Flinders in the Queensland Legislative Assembly. McDonald became known for his mastery of the Standing Orders. He was a member of the Queensland Executive between 1898 and 1903.

Federal parliamentarian

In 1901, he successfully stood for the Division of Kennedy in the first election for the Australian House of Representatives after Federation. McDonald was known as "Fighting Charlie" for his vigorous campaigning style. In one campaign, he reportedly rode over 3,000 miles on bicycle on the rough roads of outback Queensland.^[1]

McDonald became Chairman of Committees between 1906 and 1910. He became the first Labor Speaker in 1910 as Andrew Fisher formed the first Labor majority Government. He served in that position until Labor was narrowly defeated in the 1913 Federal election. McDonald was a confirmed republican who abandoned the traditional Speakers wig and gown and removed the mace from the table.

The Liberal Government made an offer to McDonald to continue in the position but he declined due to the interests of the Labor Party.^[2]

The Liberal Prime Minister Joseph Cook became frustrated by the Labor controlled Senate blocking his legislation and called for a double dissolution election. Labor won the election and McDonald became speaker again in 1914. He served as Speaker until June 1917 when Labor split over the introduction of conscription in Australia and lost its majority. After this, McDonald served on the backbench.

His health was failing in the mid-1920s despite a trip to the United Kingdom in 1923. He died of cerebro-vascular disease on the day before the 1925 election, leading to his opponent Grosvenor Francis being declared elected unopposed.^[3]

Notes

1. ^ McDonald, Charles (1860 - 1925) Biographical Entry - Australian Dictionary of Biography Online at www.adb.online.anu.edu.au
2. ^ The Independence of the Speaker (Research Note 38 1997-98) at www.aph.gov.au
3. ^ "Kennedy Seat". Bribane Courier. 14 November 1925. p. 7. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/20977534. Retrieved 19 July 2010. 

References

• Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Charles Salmon	Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives 1910–1913	Succeeded by Elliot Johnson
Preceded by Elliot Johnson	Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives 1914–1917	Succeeded by Elliot Johnson
New division	Member for Kennedy 1901–1925	Succeeded by Grosvenor Francis

Persondata
Name	Macdonald, Charles
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	25 August 1860
Place of birth	North Melbourne, Victoria
Date of death	13 November 1925
Place of death