Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Clarence Edward Martin (2 February 1900 – 5 September 1953) was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1930 until 1932 and from 1939 until his death in 1953. He was variously a member of the Australian Labor Party (NSW), the Industrial Labor Party and the Labor Party (ALP). He was the Attorney General of New South Wales from 1941 until 1953 and also held the position of Minister for Transport for six months prior to his death.

Early life

Martin was born in

Ballarat, Victoria Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. Within months of Vic ...

and was the son of a miner. He was educated at state schools in

Broken Hill, New South Wales Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...

and was orphaned at an early age. He initially worked in the Broken Hill mines but continued his education privately. At age 17 he moved to Sydney, underwent teacher training and taught in state schools in rural NSW while continuing part-time studies in economics at the University of Sydney. During the period he was out of parliament he studied law at the university. Martin graduated and was called to the bar on the motion of Richard Windeyer in 1936, in 1952 he was appointed a Queen's Counsel. He was the founder of the NSW branch of the Fabian Society and a trustee of the

State Library of New South Wales The State Library of New South Wales, part of which is known as the Mitchell Library, is a large heritage-listed special collections, reference and research library open to the public and is one of the oldest libraries in Australia. Establish ...

. He served in the Second Australian Imperial Force in New Guinea and the Middle East for 4 years and reached the rank of Major.

State Parliament

Martin entered the New South Wales Parliament at the

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

state election as the labor member for Young. He defeated the sitting Country Party member Albert Reid and his victory helped Labor form a government under Premier Jack Lang. However, he was defeated in the

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

landslide that ended Lang's premiership. During his time as the member for Young, Martin was active in forming and working with the Socialisation Units of the ALP. These Units promoted a transition to "socialism in our time" in the midst of the Depression crisis, which led him into conflict with Lang and his followers. By the mid-1930s, while still out of Parliament, he was a recognised leader of the left-wing forces inside the ALP. He was a supporter of rebel union-backed Labor Party, the Industrial Labor Party, and stood as their candidate at the by-election caused by the death of the United Australia Party member for Waverley, John Waddell. His victory and that of Clive Evatt in a by-election in Hurstville were seen as evidence of Lang's declining power. Within a few months of Martin's entry into parliament, the Industrial Labor Party was re-admitted into the ALP caucus and Lang was replaced as leader by William McKell. The Federal Executive of the Labor Party intervened in the NSW Branch to convene a unity conference, which effectively removed Lang and his followers from control.

Government

With the election of the Labor government of William McKell at the

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

election, Martin was appointed as the Attorney-General. In September 1949, the serving Deputy Premier, Jack Baddeley, announced his retirement from parliament and Martin stood to succeed him as deputy. At the caucus meeting on 21 September, Martin was defeated in his bid by the Secretary for Public Works and Local Government, Joseph Cahill, 21 votes to 20, but took on the new cabinet post of Minister for Co-operative Societies. Cahill bested Martin again when James McGirr announced his resignation as premier on the grounds of ill health on 1 April 1952. At the caucus meeting on 3 April Cahill defeated Martin 32 votes to 14 for the office of Premier. He remained Attorney General until 1953 when illness caused him to take the less hectic post of Minister for Transport.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Clarrie 1900 births 1953 deaths Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales 20th-century Australian politicians Attorneys General of New South Wales Australian barristers Australian schoolteachers Australian King's Counsel 20th-century King's Counsel Australian military personnel of World War II Australian Army officers University of Sydney alumni Burials at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park