George Lawson

Background

Lawson was born in South Pine River, near Caboolture, Queensland and educated at Warner State School.

Career

He fought in the Boer War South Africa with the 5th (Queensland Imperial Bushmen) Contingent in 1901-1902 and was mentioned in dispatches. In 1907, he helped founded the Brisbane Trolleymen, Draymen and Carter"s Union and was elected its secretary in 1908. The union later became the Carters and Drivers" Union and in 1912 he was elected its general secretary, a position he held for almost twenty years.

He was president of the Trades and Labour Council of Queensland in 1924 and 1927.

Lawson was elected an alderman of the Windsor Town Council from 1916 to 1921 and appointed as an Australian Labor Party member of the Queensland Legislative Council in 1919, and helped bring about its abolition in 1922. He was elected the member for Brisbane in the Australian House of Representatives in the 1931 elections.

With the election of the Curtin government in 1941 he became Minister for Transport, but lost his position in the ministry after the 1943 elections. Lawson retired from parliament in 1961.

He died at his home in the Brisbane suburb of Ashgrove in 1966 and was buried in Pinnaroo Cemetery.

Connections

opponent:

H. V. Evatt