16 Facts About Crawford Vaughan

Crawford Vaughan was an Australian politician, and the Premier of South Australia from 1915 to 1917.

Crawford Vaughan was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1905 to 1918, representing Torrens and Sturt.

The National Party went into coalition, serving under Peake as junior instead of senior partner, but Crawford Vaughan did not take a ministerial portfolio, spent most of his remaining term overseas, and was defeated at the 1918 election after launching a last-minute campaign as an independent candidate.

Crawford Vaughan was born in Adelaide, the son of government photolithographer Alfred Crawford Vaughan.

Crawford Vaughan was educated at the Norwood and Marryatville public schools and then Prince Alfred College.

Crawford Vaughan was elected to the House of Assembly at the 1905 state election, winning a seat for the United Labor Party in the five-member Torrens at the age of 30.

Crawford Vaughan had previously made two unsuccessful attempts for office: as a Free Trade Party candidate for the Australian House of Representatives at the 1901 federal election, and as an independent candidate for the Australian Senate at the 1903 federal election.

Crawford Vaughan became party whip in 1909, and was promoted to Cabinet as Treasurer when John Verran led Labor to victory at the 1910 election.

Crawford Vaughan was elected leader of the Labor Party when Verran resigned in 1913 following the Labor defeat 1912 election.

Crawford Vaughan's government improved the education system by restructuring the department's senior bureaucracy, by extending the years of compulsory school attendance and by providing better facilities for the intellectually and physically disabled.

Crawford Vaughan resigned from the Labor Party in 1917 in support of Billy Hughes' proposal for conscription, and was a founding member of the National Labor Party in 1917.

Crawford Vaughan remained as premier atop a minority government until 1917, when his government was defeated in parliament over the conscription issue, with Peake becoming Premier for a third time.

Crawford Vaughan spent the last months of his term on a speaking tour of the United States, at the invitation of President Woodrow Wilson.

Crawford Vaughan had a literary bent: he was a freelance journalist and for a time editor of Quiz before taking up politics, and in later life had two books published: Golden Wattle Time published in Sydney 1942 by Frank Johnson and The Last of Captain Bligh published in London 1950 by Staples Press.

Crawford Vaughan moved to Sydney after leaving parliament, where he developed a number of business interests.

Crawford Vaughan died at his home in Sydney in 1947, and was awarded a state funeral by the government of South Australia.