David Hall (Australian politician)

David Robert Hall (5 March 1874 – 6 September 1945) was a politician and lawyer in New South Wales, Australia. He came from a political family which included Maggie Hall and he went to leading positions including Attorney General of New South Wales.

The Honourable
David Hall
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Werriwa
In office
12 December 1906 – 1 April 1912
Preceded byAlfred Conroy
Succeeded byBenjamin Bennett
Attorney General of New South Wales
In office
29 January 1914 – 23 July 1919
Preceded byWilliam Holman
Succeeded byJohn Garland KC
Solicitor General for New South Wales
In office
4 April 1912 – 28 January 1914
Preceded byWalter Bevan
Succeeded byWilliam Holman
Personal details
Born(1874-03-05)5 March 1874
Harrietville, Victoria, Australia
Died6 September 1945(1945-09-06) (aged 71)
Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyLabor (1901–17)
Nationalist (1917–20)
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
OccupationBarrister

Life

Hall was born in Harrietville, Victoria. His sisters were Margaret Cable Hall who was known as Maggie, Jeanette and Marion and he had several brothers. His parents, Marion and Thomas had a guest house which was used for political meetings including a visit by Ramsay MacDonald.[1]

He studied law at the University of Sydney before becoming a barrister in 1903. By that time, he had already become involved in state politics, having been elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for the rural electorate of Gunnedah in 1901.[2][3]

Hall made a switch to federal politics at the 1906 election, contesting the House of Representatives seat of Werriwa for the Labor Party. He was successful, defeating Alfred Conroy, the sitting Free Trade Party member. Hall represented the electorate until 1912, when he resigned mid-term to return to State politics. At the subsequent by-election, the new Labor candidate, Benjamin Bennett, once again defeated Conroy.[4]

On 2 April 1912 New South Wales Premier James McGowen appointed Hall to the Legislative Council and as Minister of Justice.[5] Two days later he was also appointed Solicitor General.[6] Hall moved to the Legislative Assembly when he won the seat of Enmore in December 1913, holding it until 1920.[7] He was Attorney General between 1914 and 1919. Hall was Attorney General in the Holman Labor ministry from 1914 until November 1916 when Holman and his supporters, including Hall, were expelled from the Labor Party for supporting conscription.[8] Holman continued as Premier with the support of the Liberal Reform Party,[9] and Hall continued to be Attorney General, but was no longer Minister of Justice. In 1919 he became Minister for Housing and Vice-President of the Executive Council until February 1920.[2]

Hall was appointed Agent-General for New South Wales in London in February 1920,[10] but this appointment was cancelled in April by the incoming Storey Labor government.[4][11][12]

Hall subsequently had a successful career as a solicitor and ran unsuccessfully for the United Australia Party in the Senate in 1937.

He died in Vaucluse on 6 September 1945(1945-09-06) (aged 71).[4]

References
  1. "Obituary - Margaret Cable (Maggie) Hall - Obituaries Australia". oa.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  2. "The Hon. David Robert Hall (1874-1945)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  3. Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Gunnedah". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  4. Nairn, Bede (1983). "Hall, David Robert (1874-1945)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  5. "Appointment of David Robert Hall to the Legislative Council (46)". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 1912. p. 2127. Retrieved 15 August 2021 – via Trove.
  6. "Appointment of the Honourable David Robert Hall, MLC, to be also Solicitor-General". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 49. 10 April 1912. p. 2229. Retrieved 1 February 2019 – via Trove.
  7. Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Enmore". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  8. "PLL expulsions". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 November 1916. p. 7. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via Trove.
  9. "Proceedings in the Assembly: censure motion defeated". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 November 1916. p. 13. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via Trove.
    "No state crisis". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 November 1916. p. 6. Retrieved 7 May 2020 – via Trove.
  10. "Agent-General". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 February 1920. p. 6. Retrieved 16 February 2018 – via Trove.
  11. "Mr. D. R. Hall". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 April 1920. p. 7. Retrieved 16 February 2018 – via Trove.
  12. "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 89. 7 May 1920. p. 2713. Retrieved 16 February 2018 – via Trove.

 

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