On 1 December 1899 the world’s first Labor Government was sworn into the Queensland Parliament. With internal dissention in the Liberal and conservative parliamentary ranks, Lieutenant Governor Chief Justice Sir Samuel Griffith, invited the Labor leader Anderson Dawson to form a minority government.
Dawson’s administration, which included future Prime Minister, Andrew Fisher and future Premier, William Kidston, only lasted six days in total. During this time, Dawson uncovered corruption in the granting of leases to mining magnate, John Moffatt in his attempts to generate electricity from the Barron River for his Chillagoe mines.
Until 1908 the Australian Labor Party used the spelling 'Labour'. For consistency this exhibition uses the current spelling 'Labor'.
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