Brookvale Public School
SPACE
William Morris Hughes


By Allen
Early Life

* William Morris Hughes was born in London 1862.
* He began working as a teacher and moved to Australia in 1884.
* Hughes had many jobs as a ship's cook, seaman, drover, swagman, boundary rider, factory hand, umbrella mender and railway fettler.
* In 1890, he was working in Sydney, where he married and opened a small mixed business.
Hughes.jpg

Achievements in Parliament

* Elected to the first Commonwealth Government in 1901.
* 1904 Minister for External Affairs in Watson Government.
* Held other positions as Deputy Leader and Attorney General.
* 1915 elected Prime Minister.
* During World War I, he advocated conscription for overseas service. However, a Labor majority would accept conscription.
* The Labor Party split and he survived as Prime Minister with the support of others to form the National Labor Party, then the Nationalist Party.
* In May 1917, he led the Nationalist Party to electoral victory. He put another conscription referendum to the public and the 'no vote' won again.
* In late 1922, he made the new party even stronger at another election. After the election he was defeated by Stanley Bruce to be Prime Minister.
* He remained in Parliament until his death joining the United Australia Party then the Liberal Party.
* He was a member of 5 political parties.
* He died in 1952.
               
Timeline of his life

1862 - William Hughes was born.
1867 - Hughes attends school.
1876 - Hughes becomes a teacher for five years.
1894 - Hughes was elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly.
1901 - Elected to new Commonwealth Parliament.
1910 to 1915 - Hughes is Deputy Prime Minister.
1915 to 1923 - Prime Minister
1941 - Hughes became leader of the United Australia Party.
1945 - Joined the new Liberal Party.
1947 - Hughes created the book ‘Crusts and Crusade Tales of Bygone Days‘.
1952 - Hughes died at Lindfield, New South Wales.

Bibliography

Prime Ministers of Australia by Jill B Bruce.
A Century of Prime Ministers by Scott Brodie published by Watts Publishing.
Internet Sites
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5557/hughes.html