Frank Tudor

The Honourable Frank Tudor


Leader of the Opposition Elections: 1917, 1919
In office 14 November 1916 – 10 January 1922
Prime Minister	Billy Hughes
Deputy	Albert Gardiner
Preceded by	Joseph Cook
Succeeded by	Matthew Charlton
Leader of the Labor Party
In office 14 November 1916 – 10 January 1922
Deputy	Albert Gardiner
Preceded by	Billy Hughes
Succeeded by	Matthew Charlton
Member of the Australian Parliament for Yarra
In office 30 March 1901 – 10 January 1922
Preceded by	Seat created
Succeeded by	James Scullin
Personal details
Born	(1866-01-27)27 January 1866 Williamstown, Victoria
Died	10 January 1922 (age 55) Richmond, Victoria
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Fanny Jane Mead

Francis Gwynne "Frank" Tudor (29 January 1866 – 10 January 1922) was an Australian-born felt hatter and politician. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1916 until his death.

Early life

Tudor was born to John Llewellyn Tudor, a ballastman, and Ellen Charlotte Tudor, née Burt, both of Welsh origin, on 29 January 1866 at Williamstown, Victoria. However, the family soon moved to the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, where Tudor lived most of his life.^[1]

Upon leaving Richmond Central State School, and after short spells in a sawmill and a boot factory, Tudor entered the felt hat industry. Tudor apprenticed in Abbotsford and then travelled across Victoria in the hat trade. Tudor went to England, working in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester, marrying Alice Smale in Denton, Lancashire in 1894. Smale died the same year, but Tudor continued in the felt hat trade by moving to London and becoming vice-president of the local branch of the Felt Hatters' Union. In 1897 Tudor remarried to Fanny Jane Mead.^[1]

As vice-president of the union Tudor became interested in union politics (as many Labor politicians were before their entry into politics) and persuaded the British unions to adopt the union label principle. Returning to Australia, Tudor worked at Abbotsford's mills and took a seat in the Victorian Trades Hall Council. In 1900 he became president.^[1]

Entry into politics

A prominent figure in Richmond, Victoria, Tudor turned the Division of Yarra into the safest Labor seat in the country by winning that seat by a large margin in the 1901 federal election. Tudor was a deacon of the Congregational Church and angered some Protestants with his calls for Home Rule for Ireland.^[1]

Group photograph of all Federal Labour Party MPs elected at the inaugural 1901 election, including Chris Watson, Andrew Fisher, Billy Hughes, and Tudor, front left.

Tudor was immediately elected the Labor Party's whip and assistant secretary. He ascended to the position of secretary in 1904, then Minister for Trade and Customs during the three Fisher ministries, from 1908–1909, 1910–1913, 1914–1915.^[2] When Billy Hughes replaced Andrew Fisher as the Prime Minister, Tudor continued in the role of Minister for Trade and Customs until 1916, when he resigned from the Hughes ministry over his opposition to conscription.^[1]

Leader of the Opposition

Hughes left the Labor Party at the end of 1916 due to his support for World War I conscription in Australia, a policy that ran counter to Labor policy. He took 24 pro-conscription Labor MPs with him to form the National Labor Party, which merged with the Commonwealth Liberal Party later in the year to form the Nationalist Party.^[3] Tudor was elected as the new leader of the Labor Party, and consequently became Leader of the Opposition as Hughes was able to stay in office as Prime Minister. Tudor led his party to a severe defeat in the 1917 federal election. The party was severely weakened by several of its early leaders following Hughes out of the party.

Hughes proved to be a popular wartime leader, and Tudor was never able to get the better of him. In 1919, T. J. Ryan, who since 1915 had been Premier of Queensland, was transferred to federal politics to serve under Tudor as a deputy. At the election later that year, Tudor led the ALP to a second heavy election loss. Tudor was increasingly seen as an ineffectual leader, and several elements were contemplating replacing him with Ryan. However, Ryan's early death in 1921 prevented him from taking Tudor's place.^[1] Tudor's own health became markedly worse during 1921. He was increasingly unable to carry out his duties.

Death

On 10 January 1922, Tudor died, aged 55. He was the first leader of the Labor Party to die in office,^[1] and the first Opposition Leader never to become Prime Minister. He was succeeded as the member for Yarra by future Prime Minister James Scullin.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McCalman, Janet. "Tudor, Francis Gwynne (Frank) (1866–1922)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
↑ National Archives of Australia. "Australian Labor Party: The Hon Frank Tudor". Australian Labor Party. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
↑ Michael Duffy. "First World War – Who's Who – Billy Hughes". FirstWorldWar.com. Retrieved 2 January 2008.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frank Tudor (Australian politician).

Political offices
Preceded by Joseph Cook	Leader of the Opposition 1916–1922	Succeeded by Matthew Charlton
Preceded by Austin Chapman	Minister for Trade and Customs 1908–1909	Succeeded by Robert Best
Preceded by Robert Best	Minister for Trade and Customs 1910–1913	Succeeded by Littleton Groom
Preceded by Littleton Groom	Minister for Trade and Customs 1914–1916	Succeeded by Billy Hughes
Party political offices
Preceded by Billy Hughes	Leader of the Australian Labor Party 1916–1922	Succeeded by Matthew Charlton
Parliament of Australia
New division	Member for Yarra 1901–1922	Succeeded by James Scullin

Leaders of the Australian Labor Party

Chris Watson Andrew Fisher Billy Hughes Frank Tudor Matthew Charlton James Scullin John Curtin Ben Chifley H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Gough Whitlam Bill Hayden Bob Hawke Paul Keating Kim Beazley Simon Crean Mark Latham Kim Beazley Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd Chris Bowen Bill Shorten

Australian Labor Party

Leaders	Chris Watson Andrew Fisher Billy Hughes Frank Tudor Matthew Charlton James Scullin John Curtin Ben Chifley H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Gough Whitlam Bill Hayden Bob Hawke Paul Keating Kim Beazley Simon Crean Mark Latham Kim Beazley Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd Bill Shorten

Deputy leaders	Gregor McGregor Billy Hughes George Pearce Albert Gardiner James Scullin Arthur Blakeley Ted Theodore Frank Forde H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Gough Whitlam Lance Barnard Jim Cairns Frank Crean Tom Uren Lionel Bowen Paul Keating Brian Howe Kim Beazley Gareth Evans Simon Crean Jenny Macklin Julia Gillard Wayne Swan Anthony Albanese Tanya Plibersek

Governments	Watson Fisher Hughes Curtin Forde Chifley Whitlam Hawke Keating Rudd I Gillard Rudd II

Ministries	Watson Fisher 1 Fisher 2 Fisher 3 Hughes Scullin Curtin 1 2 Forde Chifley 1 2 Whitlam 1 2 3 Hawke 1 2 3 4 Keating 1 2 Rudd 1 Gillard 1 2 Rudd 2

Shadow cabinets	Whitlam (1967–72) Whitlam (1975–77) Hayden Hawke Beazley (1996–2001) Crean Latham Beazley (2005–06) Rudd Shorten

State branches	Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia

Party institutions	National Conference National Executive Australian Young Labor Australian Fabian Society Australian Labor Party Caucus Chifley Research Centre

Factions	Labor Right Labor Left Ferguson Left

History	History of the Australian Labor Party 1916 split 1931 split 1955 split 1975 Australian constitutional crisis Faceless men Industrial Groups The light on the hill Tree of Knowledge

Leadership spills	1991 (Jun) 1991 (Dec) 1996 2001 2003 2005 2006 2010 2012 2013 (Mar) 2013 (Jun) 2013 (Oct)

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 92305446

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