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Biography Alfred Deakin

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Biography Alfred Deakin Andrew (Anderson) Dawson (1863-1910) Alfred Deakin (1856-1919) Senator for Queensland 1901-1906 Member for Ballaarat (Victoria) 1901-1913 nderson Dawson was born in lfred Deakin was born in Collingwood, Parliament. Deakin’s support of Edmund ARockhampton, Queensland. Orphaned AVictoria, graduated in law from the Barton in December 1900 was instrumental early in life, Dawson settled in Charters University of Melbourne, and was admitted in Barton being invited by the Governor- Towers and worked at various occupations to the Bar in 1877. He wrote articles for the General to form the first Commonwealth including mining, journalism and bullock- Melbourne Age, and in 1880 edited the ministry. Deakin was appointed to the Ministry driving. An active unionist, Dawson was the Melbourne weekly, The Leader. He entered as the first federal Attorney-General. member for Charters Towers in the Victorian politics as the member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 1893-1901. Legislative Assembly for West Bourke in 1879, In March 1901 Deakin was elected to He served as Premier and Chief Secretary of and was soon recognised as a progressive represent the federal seat of Ballaarat as a the short-lived minority Labor government liberal politician, devoted to the causes of Protectionist in the first House of from 1 to 7 December 1899, earning the title protectionism and colonial nationalism. Representatives. A stalwart supporter of “first Labour premier in the world”. Barton in the first Parliament, he took over Deakin was the youngest delegate to the leadership of the government on Barton’s In 1901 Dawson came second in the poll to 1891 National Australasian Convention and retirement from politics in 1903 and served represent Queensland in the Senate at the was elected to the Australasian Federal as Prime Minister 1903-04, 1905-08 and first federal election. He was the chairman of Convention of 1897-98. As a member of the 1909-10, leading governments which were the first meeting of the Federal Parliamentary Constitutional Committee at both conventions, responsible for the establishment of major Labor Party, and was Minister for Defence in he was influential in promoting democratic national institutions and policies. the 1904 Watson Labor ministry. His continued and liberal principles in the Constitution, and support for Liberal-Labor alliances put him played an important role in mediating and Deakin retired from politics in 1913 owing out of favour with the party and led to his negotiating among the delegates. He was a to ill health. He served on a number of political demise. Dawson lost his seat at the leader in the referendum campaigns for the commissions during 1913-14, but from 1916 1906 federal election. Constitution Bill throughout Australia, and lived his life as a recluse. was the Victorian delegate to London to see the Constitution Bill through the British The state of Queensland was also represented in the first Senate by: The electorate of Ballaarat was named after its locality. The name Ballaarat is apparently William Guy Higgs James George Drake derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘a resting or camping place’. James Charles Stewart John Ferguson Thomas Glassey.
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