Fred Bamford

For the Australian rules football player, see Fred Bamford (footballer).
The Honourable
Fred Bamford
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Herbert
In office
30 March 1901 – 3 October 1925
Preceded by New seat
Succeeded by Lewis Nott
Personal details
Born 11 February 1849
Dubbo, New South Wales
Died 10 September 1934 (aged 85)
Sydney
Nationality Australian
Political party Labor (1901–17)
Nationalist (1917–25)
Spouse(s) Mary Ann Miller
Occupation Cabinet maker

Frederick William "Fred" Bamford (11 February 1849 – 10 September 1934) was an Australian politician.

Bamford was born in Dubbo, New South Wales and educated at Toowoomba, Queensland. He left school at 14 and worked as a carpenter around the Toowoomba area. In September 1871 he married Mary Ann Miller. He and a partner set up a cabinet-making business in Mackay in 1882 but he went bankrupt in 1884.[1]

Political career

Group photograph of all Federal Labour[2] Party MPs elected at the inaugural 1901 election, including Chris Watson, Andrew Fisher, Billy Hughes, Frank Tudor, and King O'Malley. Bamford is middle row standing, far right.

In 1892 Bamford became a publican in Bowen and ran unsuccessfully for the seat of Bowen in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland in December 1895 and March 1899. He was elected to the Bowen municipal council in 1897 and was elected mayor in 1898.[1]

Bamford narrowly won the Australian House of Representatives seat of Herbert at the 1901 election as the Australian Labor Party candidate, campaigning specifically against the employment of Kanakas in the North Queensland sugar cane fields. In parliament, he spoke frequently in support of the White Australia policy and subsidies and protection for the sugar industry. From 1902 to 1916, he was vice-president of the Waterside Workers' Federation while Billy Hughes was its president. In July 1915, he became the first member to speak in favour of the introduction of conscription during World War I. He was expelled from the Labor Party on 30 October 1916 and was Minister for Home and Territories in Hughes' National Labor Party ministry from 14 November to 17 February 1917. He retired from parliament at the 1925 election.[1]

Bamford moved to Sydney, where he died in 1934, survived by three sons and two daughters.[1]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hunt, D. W. (1979). "Bamford, Frederick William (1849–1934)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  2. ↑ As noted further on in the article the spelling of "Labor" in "Australian Labor Party" was not adopted by the party until 1912.
Political offices
Preceded by
King O'Malley		 Minister for Home and Territories
1916–17 		Succeeded by
Paddy Glynn
Parliament of Australia
New division Member for Herbert
1901–25 		Succeeded by
Lewis Nott