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

State Government of Tasmania beginning 22 June 1934 - period in office of Premier Ogilvie, Albert George ending on 11 June 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)

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Notes

Loss of election: Beginning of Ogilvie's period in office: At the general election held in June 1934, the Nationalists lost their majority in the House of Assembly and Lee and his government resigned. Ogilvie became Premier of an Australian Labor Party minority government; the Australian Labor Party had won 14 of the 30 seats in the House of Assembly, and was supported by an Independent Labor member, G G Becker, and at least one of the Independent members, G S Carruthers, and B J Pearsall.

Change in parliamentary support: The Ogilvie ministry changed from a minority to a majority government when the Australian Labor Party support was substantially increased at the general election of February 1937 at which the Labor Party won 18 of the 30 seats in the House of Assembly.

Death of premier: 'Ogilvie died on 10 June 1939. Dwyer-Gray was summoned by the Governor on 11 June and commissioned to form a ministry, which he did pending a meeting of caucus to elect a new leader. Caucus met on 6 July and elected Dwyer-Gray leader on the understanding that he would retire at the end of the year; Cosgrove (who was elected deputy leader) and D'Alton did not offer for the leadership on this understanding. Caucus then elected a new ministry, and Dwyer-Gray distributed the portfolios', Hughes and Graham, p. 262, (see 'Sources', below).

References: For a description of the style of parliamentary government in this period, see John Reynolds, 'Premiers and Political Leaders', in F C Green (editor), Tasmania: A Century of Responsible Government 1856-1956, pp 232-234, (Hobart: L G Shea, Government Printer, [1956]), and note Terry Newman, Tasmanian Premiers 1856-1988: A Biographical Handbook, (Hobart: Tasmanian Parliamentary Library, [1988]). For a survey of Labor Party politics in this period, see Richard Davis, Eighty Years' Labor: The ALP in Tasmania, 1903-1983, pp 28-37 (Hobart: Sassafras Books and the History Department, University of Tasmania, 1983, ISBN 0859012212).

For a survey of Ogilvie's career, see Michael Roe, 'Ogilvie, Albert George (1890 - 1939)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11, pp 68-70, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1988), on line at: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A110075b.htm?hilite=Ogilvie

Sources

'Ministries: Names of the Members of Successive Ministries which have held Office in Tasmania since the inauguration of Responsible Government, together with the Dates of Appointment and Retirement', Journal of House of Assembly, Second Session of the Forty-Fifth Parliament of Tasmania, Anno LIII and LV Eliz II; Session 2 of the 45th Parliament, Volume 251, 2004-2006, (Hobart: Government Printer, Tasmania); Colin A Hughes and B D Graham, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968, SBN 708102700), and the website of the Parliament of Tasmania, http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/