Clarrie Martin

Background

Martin was born in Ballarat, Victoria and was the son of a miner.

Education

He was educated at state schools in Broken Hill, New South Wales and was orphaned at an early age. During the period he was out of parliament he studied law at the university. Martin graduated and was called to the bar in 1936, in 1952 he was appointed a Queen"s Counsel.

Career

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. 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.

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

Martin entered the New South Wales Parliament at the 1930 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 Language.

However, he was defeated in the 1932 landslide that ended Language"s premiership. During his time as an Modern Language Association for Young, Martin was active in forming and working with the Socialisation Units of the ALP. 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 Language"s declining power.

Within a few months of his entry into parliament, the Industrial Labor Party was re-admitted into the ALP caucus and Language was replaced as leader by William McKell. Martin retained the seat of Waverley at 5 subsequent election and died as the sitting member in 1953

With the election of the Labor government of William McKell at the 1941 election, Martin was appointed as the Attorney-General. He retained this position until 1953 when illness caused him to take the less hectic post of Minister for Transport.

Achievements

• He was the founder of the NSW branch of the Fabian Society and a trustee of the New South Wales State Library.

Politics

These Units promoted a transition to "socialism in our time" in the midst of the Depression crisis.

Membership

He was variously a member of the Australian Labor Party (NSW), the Industrial Labor Party and the Australian Labor Party (ALP).

Connections

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