Charles Marr
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Sir Charles William Clanan Marr KVO (23 March 1880 - 20 October 1960) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian House of Representatives and government minister.
Marr was born in the Sydney suburb of Petersham and educated at Fort Street Model School, Newington College and Sydney Technical College, graduating as an electrical engineer. He joined the state Postmaster-General's Department and transferred to the federal Postmaster-General's Department in 1901. He married Ethel May Ritchie in September 1905. He took an early interest in radio broadcasting and developed this interest while in military service with the first Australian Imperial Force during World War I in Mesopotamia. He received a Military Cross in 1917 and a Distinguished Service Order in 1918.[1]
[edit] Political career
Marr commenced his political career by winning the Nationalist Party endorsement for the seat of Parkes from the incumbent Bruce Smith, and easily won the seat in the 1919 general election.
In October, 1927, he urged the Australian parliament not to highlight the past mistreatment of indigenous Australians, in order to preserve the White Australia policy:
"To review the past (...) would be to unjustly misrepresent the conditions that obtain today. If we were to broadcast to the world that nearly 100 years ago the aborigines were treated in a dastardly way-and admittedly they were-we should do injury to our White Australia policy; whereas we wish to convince the world that we are as mindful of our black brethren as of the whites." [2]
Marr lost the seat of Parkes to Edward McTiernan in 1929. However, he regained Parkes at 1931 by-election when McTiernan resigned to join the High Court of Australia and held the seat until 1943, initially as a Nationalist and later as a member of the United Australia Party. Marr held a number of cabinet posts in the Bruce and Lyons governments, including Home and Territories, Works and Railways, Health and Repatriation.[1]
Marr died in the Sydney suburb of Pymble, survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. He was made a knight of the Royal Victorian Order in 1934 for his role in organising the Australian tour of the Duke of Gloucester.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Lloyd, C. J. (1986). Marr, Sir Charles William Clanan (1880 - 1960). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
- ^ John Summers (2000-10-31). The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia and Indigenous Peoples 1901-1967. Research Paper 10 2000-01. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved on 2008-01-06.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas William Glasgow |
Minister for Home and Territories 1927 – 1928 |
Succeeded by Neville Howse |
| New title | Minister for Works and Railways 1932 |
Title abolished |
| New title | Minister in charge of Territories 1932 |
Succeeded by Harry Lawson |
| Preceded by John McNeill |
Minister for Health 1932 – 1934 |
Succeeded by Billy Hughes |
| Preceded by Charles Hawker |
Minister for Repatriation 1932 – 1934 |
|
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by Bruce Smith |
Member for Parkes 1919 – 1929 |
Succeeded by Edward McTiernan |
| Preceded by Edward McTiernan |
Member for Parkes 1931 – 1943 |
Succeeded by Leslie Haylen |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Marr, Charles William |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Australian politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 23 March 1880 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Petersham, New South Wales |
| DATE OF DEATH | 20 October 1960 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Pymble, New South Wales |
