Bertram Stevens (politician)

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The Honourable Sir Bertram Stevens KCMG

Stevens with members of his cabinet
25th Premier of New South Wales Elections: 1932, 1935, 1938
In office 16 May 1932 – 5 August 1939
Monarch	George V Edward VIII George VI
Governor	Lord Wakehurst
Deputy	Michael Bruxner
Preceded by	Jack Lang
Succeeded by	Alexander Mair
Personal details
Born	(1889-01-02)2 January 1889 Redfern, New South Wales, Australia
Died	23 March 1973(1973-03-23) (aged 84) Concord, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	United Australia Party
Spouse(s)	Edith Lillie Anderson

Sir Bertram Sydney Barnsdale Stevens KCMG (2 January 1889 – 24 March 1973) was the United Australia Party Premier of New South Wales from 16 May 1932 to 5 August 1939.

Early life

Stevens was born in the Sydney suburb of Redfern and attended Fort Street High School. An accountant by training, the teetotal Methodist Stevens worked for years in local government and various civil service departments. In 1914, he married Edith Lillie Anderson and they had one son and two daughters. In 1924, he became under-secretary and director of finance at the State Treasury, where he came into conflict with the Labor Premier and Treasurer, Jack Lang and subsequently resigned. In 1927, he became an alderman on Marrickville Council.^[1]

Political career

In 1927 he entered the Legislative Assembly, as member for the Sydney suburban electoral district of Croydon. During the Nationalist Party Premiership of Sir Thomas Bavin, Stevens served first as Assistant Treasurer, and from 1929 as Treasurer.^[2] Not long after the Great Depression ended Bavin's administration in 1930, Stevens became Deputy Leader of the Opposition. In 1932 the Nationalist Party was absorbed into the United Australia Party, and Stevens became that party's state parliamentary leader. In May 1932 the Governor Sir Philip Game dismissed the Lang government, which was in dispute with Australia's federal government of James Scullin, and appointed Stevens as Premier. Stevens immediately called a new state election which his party won in a landslide. His major reform was the replacement of the appointed Legislative Council, by a Council elected by the whole parliament to terms equivalent to four Assembly terms, that is up to 12 years; this was passed by referendum in 1933. He reduced the protections for mortgagors and tenants that had been introduced by Lang. The UAP won again in 1935 and 1938. For most of Stevens's seven-year Premiership, one of the longest in New South Wales history—it continued until the eve of World War II—he was his own Treasurer.

Stevens had been in conflict with the deputy leader of the UAP, Eric Spooner since 1936 for not running a balanced budget and, Spooner resigned from cabinet in July 1939 and on 1 August, moved a no confidence motion against him, succeeding by two votes. Stevens resigned and Alexander Mair took over as Premier. Stevens was interested in entering federal parliament, and despite Robert Menzies's discouragement, resigned his Assembly seat and ran for the Labor-dominated seat of Lang in 1940, but was beaten.

Later life

In 1941 and 1942, Stevens was the Australian representative to the Eastern Group Supply Council in New Delhi. After the war, Stevens was president of the India League of Australia, and wrote prolifically upon Indian politics; but he never again held elective office. He died in the Sydney suburb of Concord West, poor and almost forgotten, survived by a son and two daughters.

Honours

Stevens was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1941.

References

↑ Ward, John M. "Stevens, Sir Bertram Sydney Barnsdale (1889 - 1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 25 April 2007.
↑ "Sir Bertram Sydney Barnsdale Stevens (1889 - 1973)". Members of Parliament. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 April 2007.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bertram Stevens (politician).

Parliament of New South Wales
New district	Member for Croydon 1927 – 1940	Succeeded by David Hunter
Political offices
Preceded by Robert Cruickshank	Assistant Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales 1927 – 1929	Vacant Title next held by Eric Spooner as Assistant Treasurer
Preceded by Thomas Bavin	Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales 1929 – 1930	Succeeded by Jack Lang
Preceded by Thomas Bavin	Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales 1932	Succeeded by Jack Lang
Preceded by Jack Lang	Premier of New South Wales 1932 – 1939	Succeeded by Alexander Mair
Preceded by Jack Lang	Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales 1932 – 1938	Succeeded by Alexander Mair
Preceded by Reginald Weaver	Secretary for Public Works 1935	Succeeded by Eric Spooner
Preceded by Eric Spooner	Secretary for Public Works 1939	Succeeded by Alexander Mair
Preceded by Eric Spooner	Minister for Local Government 1939	Succeeded by Alexander Mair
Party political offices
Preceded by Thomas Bavin	Leader of the United Australia Party 1932 – 1939	Succeeded by Alexander Mair

v t e Premiers of New South Wales

Stuart Donaldson Charles Cowper Henry Parker William Forster John Robertson James Martin Henry Parkes James Farnell Alexander Stuart George Dibbs Patrick Jennings George Reid William Lyne John See Thomas Waddell Joseph Carruthers Charles Wade James McGowen William Holman John Storey James Dooley George Fuller Jack Lang Thomas Bavin Bertram Stevens Alexander Mair William McKell James McGirr Joseph Cahill Bob Heffron Jack Renshaw Robert Askin Tom Lewis Eric Willis Neville Wran Barrie Unsworth Nick Greiner John Fahey Bob Carr Morris Iemma Nathan Rees Kristina Keneally Barry O'Farrell

Authority control	VIAF: 70793005

Persondata
Name	Stevens, Bertram Sydney Barnsdale
Alternative names
Short description	Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales
Date of birth	2 January 1889
Place of birth	Redfern, New South Wales
Date of death	24 March 1973
Place of death	Concord West, New South Wales

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