Edward Russell (Australian politician)
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Edward John Russell (10 August 1878 – 18 July 1925) was an Australian politician.
Russell was born in Warrnambool, Victoria and educated at Newport State School and St Mary's Catholic School, Williamstown. In 1899 he became involved with the labour movement and soon became a Printers' Union delegate to the Melbourne Trades Hall Council and a member of the Victorian Socialist Party (VSP).[1]
[edit] Political career
In 1904 Russell ran unsuccessfully for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Prahran for the Australian Labor Party. Despite being unemployed, he campaigned successfully in a suit provided by the VSP, for election as a senator at the 1906 election. He married Margaret May Evans in April 1907. From September 1913 he was an assistant minister in the Fisher and Hughes governments. On 27 October 1916, he resigned from the ministry along with William Higgs and William Webster in opposition to Hughes handling of conscription. Nevertheless, on 14 November 1916, he joined Hughes' National Labor Party government and was reappointed to the ministry as assistant minister. From March 1918 to December 1921, he was Vice-President of the Executive Council. He was also chairman of various boards dealing with agricultural commodities and vice-president of the Board of Trade and for much of 1919 he was acting Minister for Defence. He was apparently not able to cope with this workload and he was dropped from the ministry in December 1921. Although he was still a senator, he did not participate in parliament after 1922 and died in the Sunbury Hospital for the Insane, survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Browne, Geoff (1988). Russell, Edward John (1878 - 1925). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Littleton Groom |
Vice-President of the Executive Council 1918 – 1921 |
Succeeded by John Earle |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Russell, Edward John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Australian politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 10 August 1878 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Warrnambool, Victoria |
| DATE OF DEATH | 18 July 1925 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Sunbury, Victoria |
