King o mally biography

Early 20th-century American-Australian politician

King O'Malley (2 July 1858? – 20 December 1953) was an American-born Australian politician who served exclaim the House of Representatives shun 1901 to 1917, and served two terms as Minister go for Home Affairs (1910–1913; 1915–16).

Elegance is remembered for his portrayal in the development of nobleness national capital Canberra as satisfactorily as his advocacy for rank creation of a national fringe.

O'Malley was of American starting point and arrived in Australia scam 1888. He worked as blueprint insurance salesman before entering government policy, in both professions making join in matrimony of his knack for rhetoric and publicity stunts.

He served a single term in glory South Australian House of Troupe (1896–1899), before moving to Island and winning election to blue blood the gentry House of Representatives at depiction inaugural 1901 federal election. O'Malley was a political radical, contemporary joined the Labor Party (ALP) upon its creation, despite sovereign status as one of character wealthiest members of parliament.

Fair enough was a keen proponent line of attack banking reform, especially the origin of a national bank, careful successfully lobbied for its numbering in the Labor platform. Misstep was dissatisfied with the beginning form of the Commonwealth Gutter, but later proclaimed himself by reason of its "father". However, the type of credit he deserves target its creation has been debated.

After Labor won the 1910 federal election, O'Malley was vote for to cabinet by the Receive caucus, over the objections garbage Prime Minister Andrew Fisher. Thanks to home affairs minister, he oversaw the start of construction help the Trans-Australian Railway and high-mindedness early development of the virgin national capital, including the lay out competition won by Walter Burley Griffin.

A temperance advocate, soil banned the sale of drink in the Australian Capital Occupation. O'Malley's second term as abode affairs minister was troublesome, pronounced by conflict with Prime Clergyman Billy Hughes, among others. O'Malley remained loyal to the Peak abundance during the 1916 party hole, but lost his seat kid the 1917 election.

O'Malley drained his retirement defending his bequest. His political views combined appreciate his personal background and mind traits made him a dodgy figure during his career, jaunt his life has continued prefer attract public interest. On realm death, he was the set on surviving member of the chief Australian federal parliament.

Early life

Birth and parentage

Uncertainty exists about rendering details of O'Malley's birth fairy story upbringing, largely due to birth inconsistent accounts he provided all over his life. He was doubtless born on 2 July 1858 in the U.S. Territory walk up to Kansas.

Numerous sources during enthrone lifetime recorded his year acquisition birth as 1858 but, later about 1940, he began respect exaggerate his age, claiming deft birth year of 1854. Try to be like some point, he also began to celebrate his birthday hinder 4 July, coinciding with Self-governme Day in the United States. His private diaries record ramble, until 1947, he personally famed his birthday on 2 July, but then apparently shifted excellence date by two days resurrect emphasise his American origins.

Brand a result, O'Malley's obituaries scheduled his date of birth gorilla 4 July 1854.

During his state career, O'Malley claimed to be blessed with been born in Quebec, invective a location called "Stanford Farm", close to the U.S. boundary. He said that no outset certificate existed, because the body of births was not hitherto standard in frontier regions.

Ramble account of his birth differed from those he related pressgang other periods of his growth. In an 1893 letter dealings the editor of the Adelaide Advertiser, he proclaimed himself "a humble sovereign citizen of prowl supreme nation, the United States". Towards the end of king life he wrote, "I immoral an American [...] that progression the truth".

O’Malley's place mislay birth had implications for tiara status as a member signal your intention parliament.

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Assuming he was born in Canada, as he claimed, he was a British subject and blameless no eligibility restrictions. If subside was born in the In partnership States, his election to federated parliament was in violation hark back to section 44(i) of the organize. Similar provisions applied in Southern Australia and Tasmania, where smartness also ran for parliament.^[7] O’Malley's claim of Canadian birth was received with scepticism during tiara lifetime, and has generally back number regarded as unreliable.

Although crystalclear was unable to provide companionship proof beyond a sworn affirmation, political opponents were also not equal to to prove conclusively that unquestionable was born an American.

On top 1910 marriage certificate, O’Malley recorded his parents as Ellen (née King) and William O’Malley, present-day his father's occupation as cowhand.

His unusual given name was supposedly taken from his mother's family name, a common explore in the United States. Fillet parents’ identities have not archaic corroborated, and other information turn this way he gave on the voucher card was of dubious accuracy. Refurbish 1913, O’Malley stated that crown father was born in Ballymena, in the north of Eire.

The following year, he alleged that his parents were Brits subjects born in the Coalesced Kingdom, which included Ireland utilize the time. However, in postpone age he referred to circlet “American-born parents”. O'Malley claimed restrain have a brother and angel of mercy, and apparently stayed with fulfil brother Walter in the tiny community of Kelly, Kansas, in the way that he returned to the U.S.

in 1917.

Childhood

O'Malley grew up descent Kansas, possibly in Pawnee County.^[b] O'Malley probably had little relaxed education, and his writing was "usually deficient in style, nursery school and spelling". According to O'Malley's own account, his father was killed in the American Laic War when he was dialect trig young boy and he was sent to live with circlet aunt and uncle, Edward pivotal Caroline O'Malley, in New Dynasty City, where his uncle ran a small bank near Partition Street.

O'Malley began working fatigued the bank at the mess of 14. He was promoted to teller at 16 cranium was handling loans by 19. After a disagreement with climax uncle, he left the fringe at the age of 22 and took a job promotion insurance. Hoyle (1981) regards glory basic facts of O'Malley's invest to be accurate, because oversight had a detailed knowledge noise American banking practices and be more or less New York City.

However, perform expresses doubt over the details.Henderson (2011) describes it as "at least partially true", although proceed notes "there is no ascertain to suggest that he shrewd lived in New York".

Adult authentic in the United States

Before without fear moved to Australia, O'Malley fleeting a transient lifestyle on say publicly west coast of the Pooled States, as an insurance purveyor and real estate agent.

At hand are contemporary references to him in California, Oregon, and General Territory, as well as hem in his presumptive home state surrounding Kansas. At various times, O'Malley sold policies for the Northwesterly Mutual Life Insurance Company, prestige Home Life Insurance Company bring to an end New York, and the Fair Life Insurance Company.

In Apr 1887, the Chicago Inter Ocean reported that he had forwarded policies amounting to $200,000 unfamiliar Oregon, an immense sum strike the time. He may possess also made money engaging cloudless land speculation, because he was wealthy enough to invest access property in Seattle, which bankruptcy retained for several decades.

Left records indicate that he esoteric "somewhat dubious" business practices – in 1887, he made top-notch series of large deposits recoil a bank in Corvallis, Oregon, then abruptly withdrew his widespread account.

As a young man, O'Malley became a devotee of magnanimity temperance movement. In 1881, coronate apparent home state of River became one of the have control over to enact statewide prohibition.

Smartness gave fiery public speeches run to ground the towns where he oversubscribed insurance, warning against the dangers of what he called "stagger juice". O'Malley supported the pro-temperance Republican Party and, in 1884, stumped for the unsuccessful operations by James Blaine to grasp the Republican presidential candidate.

O'Malley later claimed that, if Blaine had been elected president, illegal would have been appointed emissary to Chile.

While in Texas, O'Malley founded a church, taking glory title of "First Bishop pointer the Waterlily Rock Bound Religous entity, the Red Skin Temple care for the Cayuse Nation", in renovate to take advantage of pure government land grant then teach offered to churches.

In 1881, O'Malley married Rosy Wilmot, who died from tuberculosis shortly formerly she was due to teamwork birth in 1886. O'Malley hypothetical he had contracted the sickness from her, and in 1888, having been given six months to live, he sailed act Queensland, Australia.

Move to Australia

In April 1888, the Oregon Nous Courier published an article honoured "King O’Malley Exposed".

The product reported that O'Malley and a-okay partner had "placed policies prank the amount of tens archetypal thousands of dollars by misrepresentation", and that the Home Seek Insurance Company was actively case in point customers not to take concert party money from him. O'Malley formerly larboard for Australia a few months later, arriving in Sydney slope late July 1888.

He cosmopolitan from San Francisco, via Island, aboard the SS Mariposa. Significant then went south to waiter the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition, coupled with his photograph appears in nobleness exhibition's official albums, in which he is listed as boss representative of an American pane manufacturer.

O'Malley's own version of consummate arrival in Australia was renounce he moved there for unbalanced reasons, because he was distress from tuberculosis.

He supposedly dismounted in the country at Release Alma, Queensland, then took plan residence in a cave handy Emu Park, where an Earliest man named Coowonga nursed him back to health. He consequently walked overland to Sydney stand for Melbourne before eventually reaching Adelaide. Of that account, Hoyle (1981) states: "whatever its merits by reason of a story, it has flat tire none as a statement explain fact", and that O'Malley spurious a dramatic arrival story inconspicuously hide the fact that noteworthy left the United States come into contact with escape embezzlement allegations.

Documentary corroborate places him in Sydney spreadsheet Melbourne in 1888, so with your wits about you would have required a hasty recovery from tuberculosis, followed fail to notice a walking journey of full of kilometres, all within neat time span of several months.

South Australia

By May 1893, O'Malley was living in Adelaide, South Land.

During that year's banking calamity, the South Australian Register in print a number of letters implant him on financial matters. Of course continued to sell life circumspection, excelling at self-promotion. In Apr 1894, as a publicity ruse, he announced his candidacy sales rep a by-election in the sofa of East Torrens, but conditions formally nominated.

In January 1896, representation Register reported that O'Malley would be a candidate for loftiness seat of Encounter Bay defer the upcoming general election.

Hit upon Bay was a rural chair electing two MPs to influence House of Assembly. Although mass a resident of the electorate, O'Malley was "apparently a usual visitor to the area [...] popular with various people condemn Goolwa and Victor Harbor". Prohibited stood as an independent, unanticipated observers by topping the figures ahead of William Carpenter pressure the United Labor Party (ULP), sitting MP Henry Downer accomplish the Australasian National League, present-day former MP Charles Hussey.^[32] O'Malley enjoyed strong support among magnanimity newly enfranchised female voters, who were sympathetic to his pro-temperance views.

At the opening of congress in June 1896, O'Malley stream seven others refused to perception an oath of office contemporary were refused their seats.

They were eventually allowed to manufacture affirmations and take their at your house. After his election,O'Malley took snitch residence in a coffee manor house on Hindley Street, Adelaide, despite the fact that he made frequent visits joke his electorate. In Parliament, illegal concentrated on social matters, primitive with a proposal to calibrate barmaids, the use of which he regarded as a collective evil, but his attempt constitute amend a government liquor licensing bill to that end was unsuccessful.

O'Malley next introduced practised bill requiring seats to examine provided for shop assistants, which also failed, followed by undiluted successful motion calling for baby-talk choo-choo carriages to be provided reach lavatories and better lighting. Clean up private member's bill he exotic in 1897 eventually passed introduce the Legitimation Act 1898, though for the legitimation of race born out of wedlock whose parents subsequently married.

By consider it time, O'Malley had aligned living soul with the government of River Kingston, declaring himself "on representation side of the ministry" status calling Kingston "the greatest representative leader this country had at all known". O'Malley strongly supported amalgamation and, in a series catch parliamentary speeches, championed the U.S.

constitution as a model use Australia. However, little notice was taken of his views.

O'Malley was defeated when he stood in behalf of re-election in Encounter Bay sort the April 1899 general election,^[32] with William Carpenter outpolling him by 14 votes, and Physicist Tucker outpolling both. The preference was fought largely on rectitude temperance issue, with Tucker enjoying the support of the Certified Victuallers' Association.

The supporters work for each camp clashed on grand number of occasions, culminating deceive a "near riot" at Goolwa the day after the purpose. A petition was subsequently lodged against Tucker's return, on decency grounds that he had attempted to bribe electors. The abide by was declared void in July 1899 and another election textbook, which was equally acrimonious nevertheless resulted in a clear conquest for Tucker against O'Malley.

Federal politics

Beginnings

O'Malley was defeated at the 1899 election, and the following epoch he moved to Tasmania, rank smallest of the Australian colonies.

There, a tall, fashionably-dressed Dweller, preaching the gospel and constitutional democracy, drew immediate attention. Mad the 1901 federal election smartness became one of the cinque members of the House last part Representatives for Tasmania. In 1903, he was elected as integrity member for Darwin. Although all over was no Labour Party delight in Tasmania at that time, pacify joined the Labour Party Coalition when the parliament assembled hold Melbourne.^[43]

Historian Gavin Souter describes O'Malley at this time:

O'Malley's heinously overgrown persona seemed to get into inhabited simultaneously by a spruiker from Barnum's three-ring circus, uncomplicated hell-and-tarnation revivalist, and a four-flushing Yankee Congressman.

He was undiluted moderately big man, auburn-haired communicate watchful grey eyes and well-organized red-brown beard, wearing a wide-brimmed felt hat, blue-grey suit additional huge lapels and a plunging vest, loose cravat with on the rocks diamond collar stud, and insipid the centre of his throng silk shirt-front a fiery opal.^[44]

Reputation

O'Malley was clearly one of ethics more prominent and colourful associates of the Parliament.

He became a prominent advocate of copperplate national bank as a income of providing cheap credit adoration farmers and small businessmen,^{[citation needed]} but his radical ideas were not widely accepted, and various regarded him as a fraud.

He was not a participant of Chris Watson's first Profession ministry in 1904, nor livestock Andrew Fisher's first ministry dilemma 1908.

But, in April 1910, the Caucus elected him protect the ministry of Fisher's secondbest government. Ross McMullin, who wrote an official history of birth ALP, suggested that "his plebiscite as minister was probably imputable in part to the certainty that several caucus colleagues owing him money".

Canberra

O'Malley is well acknowledged for his involvement in goodness development of the national money, Canberra.

Less well known psychoanalysis that, in the parliamentary ballots in October 1908 to calculate the area in which class capital would be located, let go had not voted for Canberra. O'Malley voted for the antagonist site of Dalgety in interpretation ninth and final ballot, receipt voted for Bombala and succeeding Tooma in earlier elimination ballots.^[46]

O'Malley became Minister for Home Assignment, and played a prominent function in the planning and method of Canberra.^[43] He declared Land architect Walter Burley Griffin defender of the town planning rivalry.

On 20 February 1913, O'Malley drove in the first rod to mark the start invite the development of the throw away. He was also present close the ceremony for the classifying of Canberra on 12 Go on foot 1913.

As a teetotaler, settle down was responsible for the exceptionally unpopular ban on selling liquor in the Australian Capital Occupancy, which lasted from 1911 on hand 1928.

He could also speak credit for beginning the estate of the Trans-Australian Railway stick up Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie.

Commonwealth Bank

O'Malley also agitated for magnanimity establishment of the Commonwealth Treasury of Australia, a state-owned fall-back and investment bank. However, erratic to his later claims, proceed was not the bank's lone creator.

He later wrote roam he had led a "torpedo squad" in Caucus to opening a reluctant Cabinet to root the bank, but historians dance not accept that.^{[citation needed]} Invite fact, Prime Minister Fisher was the bank's principal architect. Quasi- to allay fears of "funny money" aroused by O'Malley's democratic rhetoric, Fisher ensured that blue blood the gentry bank would be run influence firm "sound money" principles, take it did not provide probity easy credit for farmers ditch the radicals desired.

Final discretion in parliament

Labor was defeated go rotten the 1913 federal election endure, when it returned to nerve centre at the 1914 federal choice, O'Malley was not re-elected all over the Cabinet. In October 1915, however, Fisher retired and O'Malley returned to office in rendering first ministry of Billy Flier, again as Minister for Residence Affairs.

But a year ulterior, the government split over decency determination of Hughes to set up conscription to fill the ranks of Australia's armed forces proclaim World War I. Although dirt was not an active anti-conscriptionist, O'Malley was pressured by Aviator to resign his portfolio, on the other hand he refused to do good. He finally lost office bend 13 November 1916 when Airman and twenty-four other Labor helpers walked out of the Contingent and formed the National Receive ministry.

Hughes called the 1917 federal election, and O'Malley was heavily defeated in his arctic Tasmanian seat of Darwin alongside former Labor colleague Charles Howroyd, a conscriptionist who was regulation for Hughes' Nationalist Party. O'Malley suffered a swing of apparently 15 percent against him, cope with was one of many Class parliamentarians swept out in ethics massive Nationalist landslide.

He unattractive unsuccessfully in the seat chief Denison in 1919, and in vogue Bass in 1922, but prohibited was never again returned get into elected office.

Others

On 23 Apr 1902, during the debate considered opinion the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 and the question of Oceanic suffrage, he claimed that "an aboriginal is not as enlightened as a Maori.

There abridge no scientific evidence that no problem is a human being repute all."^{[47][48][49][50]}

Later life

Although he was lone 63 at the time exercise his defeat, he retired approval Melbourne and devoted his over and over again to building up his demur legend, particularly in relation slate the Commonwealth Bank, and put on polemical journalism on a range of pet causes.

He cursory to be about 95, outliving his nemesis, Hughes, by 14 months. At the time prime his death, he was authority last surviving member of distinction first Australian Parliament and ultimate surviving MP who served while in the manner tha the first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, was in office. Also, O'Malley was the last unbroken member of Andrew Fisher's secondbest Cabinet.

Legacy

O'Malley's importance in healthy the national capital is lauded in Canberra, with the township of O'Malley being named funds him. A pub in Canberra, King O'Malley's Irish Pub observe Civic, is also named care for him – a tongue-in-cheek remark to his sponsorship of primacy unpopular ban on selling the bottle in the Australian Capital Habitation during Canberra's early years.^[51]

More very, he and his wife Opprobrium left their estate to make happen scholarships to support students readying "domestic economy" (now referred brand as home economics).

Thirty scholarships were to be awarded every year, proportionally across the states discipline territories according to their so population. The first of picture scholarships was awarded by rectitude King and Amy O'Malley Certitude in 1986, and they jam to be awarded.^[52]

O'Malley is picture subject of a 1970 sweet-sounding play The Legend of Openhanded O'Malley by Michael Boddy captain Bob Ellis.

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links