33 Facts About Harry Foll

Hattil Spencer "Harry" Foll was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland from 1917 to 1947.

Harry Foll took office at the age of 27, and at the time was the youngest person to serve in the Senate.

Harry Foll held ministerial office as Minister for Repatriation, Minister for Health, Minister for the Interior, and Minister for Information.

Harry Foll was a member of the War Cabinet during World War II.

Harry Foll was born on 30 May 1890 in West Brixton, London, England.

Harry Foll was the second child of Kate and John Hattil Foll; his father was a butcher.

Harry Foll disliked his given name, and was always known as "Harry".

Harry Foll grew up in Clapham, attending Holy Trinity School and Clapham College.

Harry Foll immigrated to Australia in 1909 with a friend and subsequently worked on Darr River Downs, a sheep station near Longreach in western Queensland.

Harry Foll was wounded in the head and leg on 19 May and was discharged medically unfit in February 1916.

Harry Foll married Evelyn Bush Mousley in December 1915 and they had a son and four daughters.

Harry Foll worked briefly as secretary to the state railways minister.

Harry Foll was elected to the Senate at the 1917 federal election as a Nationalist candidate.

Harry Foll was 26 years at the time of his election, and 27 when his term began on 1 July 1917.

Harry Foll remained the youngest-ever senator until 1990, when Bill O'Chee was appointed at the age of 24.

Harry Foll served continuously in the Senate until 1947, and from 1938 to 1947 he and Thomas Crawford were the joint Fathers of the Senate.

Harry Foll was a senator for 30 years; only six others have served for longer periods.

Harry Foll served as Chief Senate Whip for the Nationalists from 1926 to 1931.

Harry Foll became a member of the United Australia Party when it was formed from the shell of the Nationalist Party in 1931.

Harry Foll unsuccessfully stood for President of the Senate in 1935.

From 1938 until 1941, Harry Foll served as a cabinet minister during the Prime Ministerships of Lyons, Menzies, Page and Fadden.

Harry Foll was Minister in Charge of War Service Homes from November 1937 until November 1938, Minister for Repatriation from November 1937 to April 1939, Minister for Health from November 1938 to April 1939, Minister for the Interior from April 1939 to October 1941 and Minister for Information from December 1940 to the fall of the Fadden government in October 1941.

In 1939, Harry Foll delivered a formal ministerial statement on the outbreak of the Second World War to the Senate, and announced the formation of the War Cabinet of which he became a member.

In 1942, Harry Foll enlisted in the Volunteer Defence Corps, putting his age back by one year.

Harry Foll continued to attend Senate sittings, for which he was granted leave without pay from the corps.

Harry Foll joined the Joint Committee on Social Security and the Committee on Censorship in 1944.

Harry Foll failed to win preselection from the Queensland People's Party prior to the 1946 federal election.

Harry Foll came into conflict with fellow Queensland senator Thomas Crawford, in part due to their respective claims to the title "Father of the Senate".

Harry Foll responded by attacking Crawford's poor attendance record and his association with the Australian Sugar Producers' Association, and alleging that he had authored anonymous defamatory letters.

In October 1946, Harry Foll took out a writ of defamation against Crawford in the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Harry Foll wrote to Menzies complaining of financial difficulties and asked for employment to be found within the Liberal Party organisation, but none was forthcoming.

Harry Foll retired to Port Macquarie in 1957, and died there on 7 July 1977 at the age of 87; he was granted a state funeral.

Harry Foll was the last surviving member of parliament elected at the 1917 election.