Holman ministry (1913–1916)

The Holman ministry (1913 – 1916), first Holman ministry or Holman Labor ministry was the 35th ministry of the New South Wales Government, and was led by the 19th Premier, William Holman.

First Holman ministry
35th Cabinet of the State of New South Wales
Premier William Holman
Date formed	30 June 1913 (1913-06-30)
Date dissolved	15 November 1916 (1916-11-15)
People and organisations
Monarch	George V
Governor	Sir Gerald Strickland
Premier	William Holman
No. of ministers	9
Member party	Labor
Status in legislature	Majority government
Opposition party	Liberal Reform
Opposition leader	Charles Wade
History
Election	1913 New South Wales election
Outgoing election	1917 New South Wales election
Predecessor	McGowen ministry
Successor	Holman Nationalist ministry

Holman was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1898, serving until 1920, before being elected to the Australian House of Representatives. Holman, as Deputy Leader, had been acting premier from 15 March to 4 September 1911 while Premier James McGowen was overseas. Holman had been absent from the State from 27 December 1912 until 6 June 1913. When Holman returned, McGowen resigned due to his health and misjudgment in attempting to settle a gasworkers strike. Holman was elected leader of the Labor Party and was commissioned to form government by Sir Gerald Strickland, Governor of New South Wales.^[1]

At the Easter 1916 NSW Labor Conference, the Holman government was censured "for refusing to endeavour to carry out and give effect to the first plank of the Labour platform - abolition of the Upper House".^[2] Holman resigned the Labor leadership but not the premiership or his seat. John Storey was elected leader, however on the same day a motion of confidence in the Holman government was passed and Holman restored as leader.^[3]

The ministry covers the period from 30 June 1913 until 15 November 1916.^[4] In November 1916 Labor split over conscription, when Premier Holman, and twenty of his supporters, including ministers William Ashford, William Grahame, David Hall, Henry Hoyle and Arthur Griffith were expelled from the party for defying party policy and supporting conscription.^[5] Holman and his supporters joined a grand coalition with the members of the various conservative parties.^[6] By 1917, this had coalesced into the Nationalist Party of Australia.

Composition of ministry

The composition of the ministry was announced by Premier Holman on 30 June 1913.

Portfolio	Minister	Party		Term start	Term end	Term length
Premier	William Holman [e]		Labor	30 June 1913	15 November 1916	3 years, 138 days
Colonial Secretary					29 January 1914	213 days
	John Cann			29 January 1914	15 March 1915	1 year, 45 days
	George Black			15 March 1915	15 November 1916	1 year, 245 days
Treasurer	John Cann			30 June 1913	29 January 1914	213 days
	William Holman [e]			29 January 1914	15 November 1916	2 years, 291 days
Attorney General				30 June 1913	29 January 1914	213 days
	David Hall MLC / MLA [a] [e]			29 January 1914	15 November 1916	2 years, 306 days
Minister of Justice				30 June 1913		3 years, 138 days
Solicitor General					28 January 1914	212 days
	William Holman			19 January 1915	6 February 1915	18 days
Secretary for Lands	John Treflé [c]			30 June 1913	11 January 1915	1 year, 195 days
	William Ashford [e]			12 January 1915	15 November 1916	1 year, 308 days
Minister for Public Works	Arthur Griffith			30 June 1913	15 March 1915	1 year, 258 days
	John Cann			15 March 1915	15 November 1916	1 year, 245 days
Minister of Agriculture	John Treflé [c]			30 June 1913	29 January 1914	213 days
	William Ashford			29 January 1914	23 February 1915	1 year, 25 days
	George Black			23 February 1915	15 March 1915	20 days
	William Ashford			15 March 1915	1 June 1915	78 days
	William Grahame [e]			1 June 1915	15 November 1916	1 year, 167 days
Minister of Public Instruction	Campbell Carmichael [d]			30 June 1913	5 March 1915	1 year, 248 days
	Arthur Griffith [e]			15 March 1915	7 November 1916	1 year, 237 days
Secretary for Mines	Alfred Edden [b]			30 June 1913	29 January 1914	213 days
	John Cann			29 January 1914	15 March 1915	1 year, 60 days
	John Estell			15 March 1915	31 October 1916	1 year, 230 days
	Henry Hoyle [e]			31 October 1916	15 November 1916	15 days
Minister for Labour and Industry	James McGowen [b]			30 June 1913	29 January 1914	213 days
	John Estell			29 January 1914	31 October 1916	2 years, 276 days
	Henry Hoyle [e]			31 October 1916	15 November 1916	15 days
Minister for Public Health	Fred Flowers MLC			30 June 1913	27 April 1915	1 year, 301 days
	George Black			27 April 1915	15 November 1916	1 year, 202 days
Vice-President of the Executive Council Representative of the Government in Legislative Council	Fred Flowers MLC			30 June 1913	27 April 1915	1 year, 301 days
	John Fitzgerald MLC			27 April 1915	15 November 1916	1 year, 202 days
Minister without portfolio (Assistant Treasurer)	Henry Hoyle			29 January 1914	31 October 1916	2 years, 276 days
Minister without portfolio	William Grahame			15 March 1915	1 June 1915	78 days

Ministers were members of the Legislative Assembly unless otherwise noted.

See also

• New South Wales portal
• Politics portal

• Holman Nationalist ministry
• • Members of Legislative Assembly
  • (1910-1913)
  • (1913–1917)
• • Members of Legislative Council
  • (1910–1913)
  • (1913–1917)

Notes

1. David Hall resigned from the Legislative Council in November 2013 to be elected to the Legislative Assembly as the Member for Enmore.
2. Cabinet positions were selected by caucus on 28 January 1914. James McGowen declined to stand and Alfred Edden was defeated.^[8]
3. John Treflé died on 11 January 1915.
4. Campbell Carmichael resigned in March 1915 over a dispute concerning seniority in the cabinet.^[7]
5. Expelled from Labor Party on 7 November 1916.^[5]
6. The causes of changes to the composition of the ministry, in chronological order, were Hall became an MLA,^[a] Edden defeated,^[b] Treflé died,^[c] Carmichael resigned,^[d] and Labor split.^[e]

References

1. Nairn, Bede. "Holman, William Arthur (1871–1934)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
2. "The PLL: State ministry censured". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 April 1916. p. 9. Retrieved 24 July 2021 – via Trove.
3. "To hang on: the ministry yields". The Daily Telegraph. 4 May 1916. p. 6. Retrieved 24 July 2021 – via Trove.
4. "Part 6 Ministries since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 March 2020.^[f]
5. "PLL expulsions". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 November 1916. p. 7. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via Trove.
6. "Proceedings in the Assembly: censure motion defeated". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 November 1916. p. 13. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via Trove.
   "No state crisis". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 November 1916. p. 6. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via Trove.
7. "The cabinet: why Mr Carmichael resigned". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 March 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 24 July 2021 – via Trove.
8. "Cabinet selected by caucus". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 January 1914. p. 9. Retrieved 24 July 2021 – via Trove.

 

Preceded by McGowen ministry	Holman ministry 1913 – 1916	Succeeded by Holman Nationalist ministry