Australian Politics and Elections Archive 1856-2018
The University of Western Australia

State Government of New South Wales beginning 13 May 1932 - period in office of Premier Stevens, Bertram Sydney Barnsdale ending on 5 August 1939

Period in office of premier (see Glossary entry for 'period in office' and related terms)

Parliamentary support during period

Number of ministers at beginning of period (this may vary during the period)

Previous period in this series for NSW | Next period in this series for NSW

Notes

Premier dismissed by Governor (Lang): Beginning of Steven's period in office; 'In May 1932 Lang's disagreements with the financial policies being pursued by the Commonwealth Government and the other States came to a head. When the Commonwealth Government issued a proclamation directed to NSW State public servants requiring them to pay certain revenues into the Commonwealth Bank, Land issued a circular instructing them to avoid the federal order by not paying the moneys in; this action was in breach of the State Audit Act. The Governor, Sir Philip Game, then dismissed Lang on 13 May for a breach of federal law and invited Stevens, leader of the United Australia Party(which had just been formed from the NSW Nationalist Party and the All for Australia League), to form a new ministry.... [Stevens] then obtained a prorogation and a dissolution', Colin A Hughes and B D Graham, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, pp. 68-69, (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968, SBN 708102700). See also John Manning Ward, 'The Dismissal', in Heather Radi and Peter Spearritt (editors), Jack Lang, pp. 160-178, (Neutral Bay, NSW: Hale & Iremonger, 1977, ISBN 0908094019).

Change in parliamentary support: After the dismissal of Lang, Stevens was commissioned to form a coalition minority government until the June 1932 election at which the United Australia Party and Country Party coalition secured majority support; see Geoffrey Robinson, '1932', in Michael Hogan and David Clune (editors), The People's Choice: Electoral Politics in 20th Century New South Wales, vol. 2 (1930-1965), pp. 53-103, (Sydney: Parliament of New South Wales and University of Sydney, 2001, ISBN 0909907404).

Defeat in parliament (Stevens): 'In July 1939 [Eric] Spooner resigned from the ministry in protest against its financial policy and what he regarded as Bruxner's [deputy premier and leader of the Country Party] undue influence. He subsequently moved a motion critical of Stevens's policy which Stevens treated as a motion of censure. It was carried 43-41 on 3 August; five government supporters were overseas or ill, but ten UAP members and the Independent member voted with Labor. Neither Spooner or Lang had the numbers to form an alternative ministry; when Stevens resigned he advised the Governor to call upon Mair. Mair then formed a coalition with Bruxner', Hughes and Graham, p. 76, (see 'Sources', below). See also David Clune, '1941', in Michael Hogan and David Clune (editors), The People's Choice: Electoral Politics in 20th Century New South Wales, vol. 2 (1930-1965), pp. 167-201, (Sydney: Parliament of New South Wales and University of Sydney, 2001, ISBN 0909907404).

References: For an analysis of the role of Premier in New South Wales, see David Clune and Ken Turner, 'Introduction: The Changing Role of the Premier in the 20th Century', pp. 1-14, in Clune and Turner vol. 2 (see, 'Sources', below).

For a survey of Steven's political career, see John McCarthy, 'Bertram (later Sir Bertram) Sydney Barnsdale Stevens', in Clune and Turner, vol. 2, pp. 217-234 (see 'Sources', below), and John M Ward, 'Stevens, Sir Bertram Sydney (1889-1973)', in John Ritchie (general editor), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 12, pp. 74-77, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1990, ISBN 0522844375).

Sources

David Clune and Ken Turner (editors), The Premiers of New South Wales, vol. 2, (1901-2005), (Sydney: Federation Press, 2006, ISBN 186287551); Colin A Hughes and B D Graham, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, pp. 57-85, (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968, SBN 708102700); New South Wales, Parliament, The New South Wales Parliamentary Record: Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly, 1824-1999, vol. VI, pp. 246-308, (Sydney: Parliament of New South Wales, 1999). In consulting these sources, note the difference between ministries and periods in office.