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

State Government of New South Wales beginning 15 November 1916 - period in office of Premier Holman, William Arthur ending on 13 April 1920

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

Change of partisan support for premier (Holman): Beginning of Holman's second period in office; 'The 1916 State conference of the Labor Party resolved that candidates who supported conscription should not be endorsed. However, during the campaign for the first conscription referendum held on 28 October 1916, Holman and some of his cabinet campaigned in support of conscription;...' After the referendum, enough Labor MLAs withdrew their support from the Holman government to force him to seek support from Liberal MLAs and create a new party grouping under the name of the Nationalist Party (Nationalists). After some manoeuvring, a Nationalist government '...was formed of five Holmanites and six Liberals and one Progressive', Hughes and Graham pp. 65-66, (see 'Sources', below); see also Michael Hogan, '1917', in Michael Hogan and David Clune (editors), The People's Choice: Electoral Politics in 20th Century New South Wales, vol. 1 (1901 to 1927), pp. 153-179, (Sydney: Parliament of New South Wales and University of Sydney, 2001, ISBN 0909907390). The role of the Governor in the circumstances surrounding the formation of the Holman Nationalist ministry was controversial, see Herbert Vere Evatt, The King and his Dominion Governors: A Study of the Reserve Powers of the Crown in Great Britain and the Dominions, 2nd edition, pp. 146-152, (Melbourne: Cheshire, 1967).

Loss of election (Holman): See Michael Hogan, '1920', in Michael Hogan and David Clune (editors), The People's Choice: Electoral Politics in 20th Century New South Wales, vol. 1 (1901 to 1927), pp. 181-234, (Sydney: Parliament of New South Wales and University of Sydney, 2001, ISBN 0909907390).

See previous period in office in this series for New South Wales for details of Holman's Labor government.

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 Holman's political career, see Michael Hogan, 'William Arthur Holman', in Clune and Turner, vol. 2, pp. 117-139 (see 'Sources', below), and Bede Nairn, 'Holman, William Arthur (1871-1934)', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Searle (general editors), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 9, pp. 340-347, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1983, ISBN 0522842739); for an extensive study, see Herbert Vere Evatt, Australian Labour Leader: The Story of W A Holman and the Labour Movement, (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1940).

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.