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Matthew Charlton

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Matthew Charlton
MP
Leader of the Opposition
Elections: 1922, 1925, 1928
In office
16 May 1922 – 29 March 1928
MonarchGeorge V
Governors‑GeneralThe Lord Forster
The Lord Stonehaven
Prime MinisterBilly Hughes
Stanley Bruce
DeputyAlbert Gardiner
James Scullin
Preceded byFrank Tudor
Succeeded byJames Scullin
Leader of the Labor Party
In office
16 May 1922 – 29 March 1928
DeputyAlbert Gardiner
James Scullin
Preceded byFrank Tudor
Succeeded byJames Scullin
Member of the NSW Parliament
for Waratah
In office
1903–1904
Preceded byArthur Hill Griffith
Succeeded byJohn Estell
Member of the NSW Parliament
for Northumberland
In office
1904–1910
Preceded byJohn Norton
Succeeded byWilliam Kearsley
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Hunter
In office
1910–1928
Preceded byFrank Liddell
Succeeded byRowland James
Personal details
Born
Matthew Charlton

(1866-03-15)15 March 1866
Linton, Victoria, British Empire
Died8 December 1948(1948-12-08) (aged 82)
Lambton, New South Wales,
Australia
Political partyLabour (Labor)
Spouse
Martha Rollings
​
​
(m. 1889; wid. 1948)​
Children2
EducationLambton Public School
OccupationTrade union executive
(Colliery Employees' Federation)
ProfessionTrade Unionist
Politician

Matthew Charlton (15 March 1866 – 8 December 1948) was an Australian Labor Party politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1910 to 1928, representing the New South Wales electorate of Hunter. He was leader of the Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1922 to 1928. Prior to entering federal politics, he had been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1903 to 1910.

Early life

Little is recorded about Charlton's early life, as he grew up in a relatively unknown mining district. It is known, however, that Charlton was born on 15 March 1866 in Linton, Victoria, a small town near Ballarat that today has less than 500 residents.[1] He was born to Matthew Charlton, an English miner from Durham, and Mabel (née Foard). In 1871, the five-year-old Charlton's father moved with his family to Lambton, a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales. After primary education at Lambton Public School, Charlton began work at Lambton Colliery as a coal trapper; a children's-only job opening trapdoors for coal carts.[2] When too old for the job, Charlton was given a job at the coal-face. At 23 he married Martha Rollings at nearby New Lambton.[3][4]

Emerging interest in politics

In 1896 plans to reduce coal workers' wages led to strike action. Charlton supported the struggle against wage reductions, but the effort failed and, along with many other miners, he moved to the goldfields near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. After two years there, Charlton returned to Lambton and became an official in the Colliery Employees' Federation,[5] becoming treasurer in 1901. While occupying that position, Charlton also prepared arbitration cases. Battling for an improvement in mine workers' conditions, he attended a trade union congress in November 1902, at which he moved for nationalisation of the coal mining industry, believing it would "eliminate cut-throat competition between owners that depressed miners' wages and conditions".[4] That idea was opposed as being too radical but a compromise was drawn up urging state governments to open and run their own coal mines, while affirming the ultimate desirability of full nationalisation.[4]

State political career

Colleagues urged Charlton to stand for the state electoral district of Waratah, and on 5 December 1903 Charlton became the second member for the district in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. His representation of that district was short-lived, as the next year he transferred to Northumberland, replacing John Norton. Charlton became the unofficial spokesperson for the miners, speaking principally about mining matters in parliament. In 1909 a coal miners' strike struck New South Wales and Charlton was called upon by the Colliery Employees' Federation to represent it in front of a wage board. Charlton was unsuccessful in gaining better conditions for the miners but he did settle the dispute, talking to miners around the state and convincing them to return to work. He resigned from state politics and in 1910 Charlton wrested the federal Division of Hunter from the sitting Frank Liddell.Hunter has remained a safe Labor seat ever since.[4][6]

Early federal career

Charlton was an immediate success with Andrew Fisher and was promoted to the temporary chairmanship of committees in the House in 1913, however Charlton threatened to resign in 1915 over a dispute in government delays in granting the committee increased powers. Fisher mollified him and in 1916 Charlton proved his loyalty to the new Labor leader Billy Hughes by voting for Hughes' conscription referendum bill, even though he was vehemently opposed to conscription and fought hard against it.[7] However, Charlton seemed to accept the affirmative result of the referendum and again proved his loyalty to Hughes by defending him when he became the target of caucus criticism. Charlton attempted to deflect attacks made on Hughes to a party conference, but Hughes left the party before a decision could be made.[4][7]

The new Labor leader Frank Tudor was a weak leader in health and political prowess. A successor-designate was chosen by the caucus but it was not Charlton. T. J. Ryan was chosen over him,[8] but he died in 1921 and Charlton filled the deputy leadership position. During election year, 1922, Tudor died also, and Charlton became Leader of the Opposition going into the 1922 election.

Matthew Charlton during his time as Member for Hunter, exact date unknown.

Leader of the Opposition

Charlton offered alternative policies and looked to be favourite until he was hospitalised with illness halfway through the campaign. Labor still won the most seats as a single party, but Charlton was unable to defeat a strong government coalition. Labor remained in opposition.[4]

Because of great losses during World War I, Charlton opposed military training and commitments of Australian forces. In 1924 Charlton was invited to a League of Nations (now United Nations) conference in Geneva, Switzerland. At the conference Charlton strongly opposed war, and the Geneva Protocol took form. Upon his return to Australia, Charlton advocated adoption of the protocol, but the government sided with the British and refused to observe it.[4][9]

Charlton lost the 1925 election, largely due to his stance on industrial relations and continual militant union action which plagued his campaign. Charlton always aided in maintaining amicable relations in the party and many times lent his expertise to conflicts within the NSW branch of the Labor Party. He resigned from his positions on 29 March 1928. His successor James Scullin went on to become the Prime Minister of Australia, something Charlton never managed to do.[4]

Final years

Following his six years of service as Labor leader, Charlton took an interest in local government and became an alderman on the Lambton Council from 1934 to 1938 (before its merger with the City of Newcastle). On 8 December 1948 Charlton died at Lambton, New South Wales, where he grew up and had lived most of his life.[4][10]

The Division of Charlton in the Hunter Region was named in his honour and had been a safe Labor seat since its creation in 1984 until its abolition in 2016.[11]

Notes

  1. ^ "Linton, Victoria". Postcodes Australia. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  2. ^ "Early Coal Mining History". Bill Riley's Pitwork.net. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
  3. ^ NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Search (accessed 2008-03-10)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Perks, Murray (1979). "Charlton, Matthew (1866–1948)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  5. ^ "Colliery Employees Federation of the Northern District..." New South Wales electronic regional archives. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  6. ^ Adam Carr. "Index of Members 1901–2002". Psephos. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  7. ^ a b Fitzhardinge, L. F. (1979). "Hughes, William Morris (Billy) (1862–1952)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  8. ^ Johnston, W. Ross (1988). "Ryan, Thomas Joseph (1876–1921)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 12 December 2007. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Protocol". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  10. ^ NSW Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages – Death Record Search (accessed 2008-03-10)
  11. ^ "Charlton – Electoral Profile (AEC)". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Hunter
1910–1928 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Australian Labor Party
1922–1928 		Succeeded by
Leader of the Opposition
1922–1928

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