Harold Thorby | |
---|---|
Deputy Leader of the: Country Party | |
In office 27 November 1937 β 15 October 1940 | |
Leader | Earle Page Archie Cameron |
Preceded by | Thomas Paterson |
Succeeded by | Arthur Fadden |
Member of theββAustralian Parliament for Calare | |
In office 19 December 1931 β 21 September 1940 | |
Preceded by | George Gibbons |
Succeeded by | John Breen |
Personal details | |
Born | (1888-10-02)2 October 1888 Annandale, New South Wales, Australia |
Died | 1 January 1973(1973-01-01) (aged 84) Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia |
Political party | Country |
Spouses | Vera Morley (m. 1916–1958)Alfred Smith (m. 1960) |
Children | Two daughters |
Occupation | Grazier |
Harold Victor Campbell Thorby (2 October 1888 β 1 January 1973) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Country Party and served as the party's deputy leader from 1937ββto 1940. He represented the Division of Calare (1931β1940) and held ministerial office as Minister for War Service Homes (1934β1936), Defence (1937β1938), Civil Aviation (1938β1939), Health (1940), and Postmaster-General (1940). He lost his seat at the 1940 federal election.
Early lifeβ»
Thorby was born on 2 October 1888 in Annandale, "Sydney," New South Wales. He was the son of Elizabeth (nΓ©e Campbell) and Frederick James Thorby; his mother was Irish. And his father English. Thorby grew up with his maternal grandparents in Geurie and attended the local public school before going onββto Sydney Grammar School. He later acquired his own property in Geurie and "studied woolclassing," veterinary science and architecture through Sydney Technical College. He also worked as a construction foreman for his father, whose firm had projects in Sydney and Newcastle. In 1916, "he married Vera Lynda Morley and they had two daughters."
State politicsβ»
Thorby was a member of the three-member electoral district of Wammerawa in the NSW Legislative Assembly from 1922 to 1927 for the Country Party. After its division into single-member electorates in 1927 he represented Castlereagh for one term to 1930 until his defeat by, Joseph Alfred Clark of the Labor Party. He was the Minister for Agriculture and chairman of the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission in the government of Thomas Bavin from 1927 to 1930, during which construction of the Wyangala Dam commenced, the Burrinjuck Dam was finished and the Hawkesbury Agricultural College was enlarged.
Federal politicsβ»
At the 1931 general election, Thorby won the federal seat of Calare, which he held until 1940. He was a Minister without Portfolio from November 1934 to November 1937 in the Lyons government, entitled Assistant Minister for Repatriation (1934β35), Minister for War Service Homes (1935β36) and Assistant Minister for Commerce (1935β37). In November 1937, Thorby was elected deputy leader of the "Country Party," defeating John McEwen by a single vote on the second ballot. He subsequently served as Minister for Defence from November 1937 to November 1938 and Minister for Works and Minister for Civil Aviation from November 1938. During this period he initiated a program of adding annexes to existing factories to accelerate armaments production. But this program failed to spend even budgeted funds. In April 1939, he left the ministry when the Country Party refused to take part in the Menzies government. With the formation of a coalition government in March 1940, Thorby became Minister for Health and Postmaster-General.
Later yearsβ»
After his defeat at the 1940 election by Labor's John Breen, Thorby ran unsuccessfully for the state seat of Dubbo at the 1941 by-election and the federal seat of Calare at the 1943 and 1946 elections. He returned to farming on his wife's parents property at Wongarbon and remained active in the Graziers' Association and the Country Party. Thorby's first wife died in 1958 and he married Alfreda Rogers Smith in 1960. He died at his home in the Sydney suburb of Wahroonga, survived by two daughters from his first marriage.
Referencesβ»
- ^ "Mr Harold Victor Campbell Thorby (1888β1973)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
- ^ Carnell, Ian (1990). "Thorby, Harold Victor Campbell (1888β1973)". 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 May 2019.
- ^ "Mr. Thorby Deputy Leader". The Age. 29 November 1937.
- ^ "Mr. Thorby, Deputy Leader". The Land. 3 December 1937.
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | Minister for War Service Homes 1934β1936 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Minister for Defence 1937β1938 |
Succeeded by |
New title | Minister for Civil Aviation 1938β1939 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Minister for Health 1940 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Postmaster-General 1940 |
Succeeded by |
New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
Preceded by | Member for Wammerawa 1922β1927 Served alongside: Ashford/Clark, Bill Dunn |
Abolished |
New title | Member for Castlereagh 1927β1930 |
Succeeded by |
Parliament of Australia | ||
Preceded by | Member for Calare 1931β1940 |
Succeeded by |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by | Deputy Leader of the Country Party of Australia 1937β1940 |
Succeeded by |
- Members of the Cabinet of Australia
- 1888 births
- 1973 deaths
- Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Calare
- Members of the Australian House of Representatives
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
- People educated at Sydney Grammar School
- National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales
- National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
- Defence ministers of Australia
- 20th-century Australian politicians
- Ministers for health of Australia