Elliot Johnson (politician)

Sir William Elliot Johnson KCMG (10 April 1862 – 8 December 1932) was an Australian politician. He was a long-serving member of the House of Representatives (1903–1928) and served non-consecutive terms as Speaker of the House (1913–1914, 1917–1923). He began his career in the Australian Labor Party (ALP) during the early 1890s, but was a member of the anti-Labor parties throughout his tenure in parliament.

The Honourable Sir Elliot Johnson KCMG
Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office 14 June 1917 – 27 February 1923
Preceded by	Charles McDonald
Succeeded by	William Watt
In office 9 July 1913 – 7 October 1914
Preceded by	Charles McDonald
Succeeded by	Charles McDonald
Member of the Australian Parliament for Lang
In office 16 December 1903 – 17 November 1928
Preceded by	Francis McLean
Succeeded by	William Long
Personal details
Born	(1862-04-10)10 April 1862 Newcastle, England
Died	8 December 1932(1932-12-08) (aged 70) Geelong, Victoria
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Labor (early 1890s) Free Trade (1903–1906) Anti-Socialist (1906–09) Liberal (1909–17) Nationalist (from 1917)
Spouse	Marie McLachlan ​ (m. 1881)​
Occupation	Sailor

Early life

Johnson was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the son of a scene-painter. He ran away from home at 13, worked in the telegraph office at London, and afterwards assisted his father scene-painting at Covent Garden theatre. He was then apprenticed on a sailing-ship and after obtaining his second mate's certificate, settled in Sydney in 1883. He took much interest in the free-trade movement and was also a follower of Henry George.

Johnson was an early member of the Labor Electoral League of New South Wales and served as president of its Newtown branch. He was also a contributor to the Labour Defence Journal. At the 1894 general election he was an unsuccessful candidate for the seat of Marrickville. Johnson later left the party on the grounds that it had "turned wrongly towards socialism and state interference". He was subsequently honorary secretary of the Free Trade and Liberal Association of New South Wales.

Politics

Undated photo

In December 1903 he was elected a member of the federal House of Representatives for Lang. He was from 1910 to 1913 whip and secretary to the Liberal Party and was a member of the panel of Deputy Chairmen of Committees. He took much interest in the selection of the site for the federal capital, and nominated the Yass-Canberra site which was eventually chosen. In 1911 he was one of the Australian parliamentary representatives at the coronation of King George V.

He was elected Speaker of the House in 1913 and held this position until after the 1914 election. He was again Speaker from June 1917 to February 1923, when William Watt was chosen for the position. Johnson was a man of great industry who made it his business to be thoroughly acquainted with the subjects under debate. He was particularly interested in the question of immigration. As Speaker he was quietly dignified, courteous and efficient.

He was defeated at the 1928 general election.

Personal life

Johnson died at Geelong, Victoria, in 1932. He married, but his wife died before him. He was survived by a daughter. He was created a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1920.

In private life his hobby was painting and etching. A set of his etchings is at the National Library of Australia, Canberra.

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  Surveyor's Camp at Canberra (1910), by W.E. Johnson.