| Billy
Hughes, Prime Minister and Controversial Founding Father
of the Australian Labour Party.
By
Aneurin Hughes
(published by John Wiley &Sons Australia ,Ltd. 2005)
The author of this outstanding biography, Aneurin Hughes,
was the head of the European Community Delegation in Canberra
from 1995 to 2004. As a first class honours graduate in
Welsh and Philosophy of the University of Wales, Swansea
he is particularly well qualified to prepare this biography
of Billy Hughes, who until John Howard, was Australia’s
second longest serving Prime Minister. This biography is
particularly well researched, as the author says “Having
read most, if not all, the books by or about him; waded
through the 33 metres(!) of material left to the National
Library of Australia by his widow, perused the data gathered
by the Australian Dictionary of Biography; and chased references
in the National Archives, state libraries and Hansard.,
for me the intriguing discovery was there was so little
which emerged about William Morris Hughes the person.”
The author considers he has made easily the best attempt yet at portraying
Billy Hughes the person. However Billy Hughes covered his tracks so well that
the persona remains very enigmatic. For instance when was his real date of
birth? Was he really married to Elizabeth Cutts his alleged first wife? There
are many questions that remain unanswered and it is highly unlikely that we
will ever know more than Aneurin Hughes has been able to unearth.
Billy Hughes lived with his Welsh born parents in Pimlico, London until his
mother died when he was 7 years old. He went to live with his aunt in Llandudno,
a seaside resort on the north coast of North Wales where he picked up a smattering
of Welsh (he was never literate in Welsh). Aged 12 he returned to London. Aneurin
Hughes is unable to find anything worthwhile about Billy Hughes’ sojourn
in the UK apart from a few school prizes. In October 1884 he sailed steerage
on the “Duke of Westminster” to Australia.
In his early days in Australia, as with his life in London and Wales, the author
reminds us of the paucity of detail. What is clear is that Billy Hughes did
it very hard working as a drover, shop assistant, shearer’s assistant,
potato bagger and many other miscellaneous jobs When he learnt to ride a horse
we do not know, but he enjoyed horse riding until late in his life. He allegedly
married Elizabeth Cutts in the mid1880s although there were no certificates
or any other evidence, She already had one son from a previous liaison. He
and Elizabeth were to have three daughters and three sons.
The start of his “political career” was in the 1890s following
the severe drought and depression of 1890 which led to the formation of “The
Labour Electoral League” this was the forerunner of the Australian Labour
Party. He was involved in the formation of several unions including The Waterside
Workers Federation and the Australian Workers Union. Despite his absolute commitment
to the workers and their unions he regarded strikes as absolutely the worst
alternative and used his outstanding oratorical gifts to pursue settlements -shades
of Bob Hawke!
His “wife ‘ Elizabeth Cutts died in 1906 aged 42. In 1911 he married
a nurse Mary Campbell fron Burrandong, MacQuarie River, New South Wales. Helen
Hughes, their only child (Mary had a hysterectomy following the birth) was
born in1916.
Aneurin Hughes gives a fascinating description of Billy Hughes entering the
NSW state parliament in 1894 - one of only three trade unionists in the
Labour party. In the meantime Billy Hughes had studied Law in his spare time
and qualified as a barrister in 1909 and became a King’s Counsel. He
entered Federal parliament in 1901 representing West Sydney. In 1908 he became
Attorney General of Australia. It is interesting to note that he was an advocate
of “The White Australia” policy.
Billy Hughes became Prime Minister of Australia in 1915. His Prime Ministership
in this difficult time is very well described in this book. He was continually
anxious to maximize support for Australian troops overseas. It was part of
his effort to support our troops that led him to hold a referendum on conscription.
An act which was to lead to serious division in the Labour Party and Hughes’ expulsion
from the ALP. He visited the troops in France and also spent much time in London.
The author mentions that he was lionized in the UK, particularly in Wales.
The author’s account of Hughes’ activity at the Peace Conference
in 1919 is outstanding. Hughes succeeded in getting Australia mandatory authority
over the islands between the equator and 8° latitude and between 141° and
159° longitude. On several issues the Prime Minister clashed heavily with
both Woodrow Wilson and Lloyd George but he would not give in even when Wilson
threatened to leave the conference Billy Hughes, however had the support of
Clemenceau, the French Prime Minister. Sadly, Hughes failed to get all the
reparations he considered appropriate.
Billy Hughes had an unhappy time after the Peace Conference. He was greeted
with acclaim and adulation on his immediate return from Versailles. Thereafter
he had a difficult time in cabinet, eventually losing the Prime Ministership
in February 1923. He held cabinet posts in the 1930s including Minister for
Health and Attorney General twice. During his political career he had been
a member of the Australian Labour Party, the National Labour Party, the Nationalist
Party of Australia, United Australia party and the Liberal Party!
This biography also examines the relationship between Billy Hughes and his
family. There. is one outstanding relationship and that is the one between
him and his only daughter from his marriage to Mary -their only child
Helen, born in 1916. Their relationship was particularly warm unlike the rest
of his relations with his descendants .The author states “In all his
vast accumulation of papers almost the only examples of Hughes expressing deep
emotion in respect of any individual come in references to his daughter Helen.” Very
sadly she died in 1937 aged 22. The correspondence with his other sons and
daughters show little affection. He seems to have been both mean and forgetful
in supporting them when they faced financial difficulties. However he did use
his influence in assisting his sons to obtain employment. His associations
with his grandchildren seem to be relatively happy but he does not come across
as a great family man.
Inevitably this review is superficial and there is an immense amount of Billy
Hughes’ contributions and activity that is left out of this review. I
have failed to cover, for instance he was notorious for being difficult toward
his secretaries- apparently he had had about 100 secretaries and his disputes
with Archbishop Mannix were legendary. However he remains possibly our greatest
Prime Minister. His commitment to Australia, drive and fearlessness were not
to be denied. He was not going to be browbeaten by Lloyd George or Woodrow
Wilson. He probably ensured that Australia was spared Japanese invasion in
the 1940s. His funeral in 1952 saw one of the biggest crowds Sydney had ever
seen and St. Andrews’ cathedral was packed.
This is a superlative biography, well researched, revealing strengths and weaknesses
and is well written - a very satisfying read. This book is highly recommend
it to all students of Australian history and everyone interested in our governance.
Haydn Lloyd Davies.
Read it in Welsh
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