27 Facts About John Scaddan

John Scaddan was born in Moonta, South Australia, into a Cornish Australian family.

John Scaddan was educated at the state schools in Woodside and Eaglehawk, Victoria, Australia.

John Scaddan worked in the area until 1896, when he came to Western Australia, probably as part of the gold rush to the Kalgoorlie goldfields.

In 1900, John Scaddan married Elizabeth Fauckner in Boulder, who died from Bright's disease on 21 September 1902, and in 1904 he married Henrietta Edwards.

John Scaddan became a keen unionist, and on 28 June 1904 he contested the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Ivanhoe, partly because he was having difficulty securing continuous employment, and partly because of an interest in economic affairs.

John Scaddan was re-elected unopposed in the election of October 1905, and for the next four years served as party secretary.

John Scaddan easily won his seat, which had been renamed Brown Hill-Ivanhoe after a redistribution.

The Labor party won an overwhelming majority, and on 7 October 1911 John Scaddan became Premier of Western Australia.

John Scaddan's government is perhaps most remembered for its policy of setting up state owned enterprises, termed state socialism by John Scaddan, although it was not really state socialism.

John Scaddan's government became involved in numerous industries: it established a state shipping service; started a dairy farm at Claremont and a sawmill at Manjimup; reopened a quarry at Boya; set up a brickworks and an agricultural implement works; took over the South Perth ferries and Perth's trams; started up abattoirs; and even purchased hotels.

John Scaddan's government was returned in the election of 1914, but with a majority of only two.

John Scaddan subsequently left the state altogether, and in September 1915 his seat was declared vacant for non-attendance.

John Scaddan then asked the Governor Sir Harry Barron for a dissolution of parliament, but was refused.

John Scaddan resigned as premier on 27 July 1916, and Liberal leader Frank Wilson took office.

John Scaddan failed to win the seat, but the Labor member who had won Brown Hill-Ivanhoe, John Lutey, resigned it before being sworn in, and Scaddan was re-elected to Brown Hill-Ivanhoe on 7 October 1916.

On regaining his seat, John Scaddan resumed as Leader of the Opposition.

John Scaddan was appointed Minister for Mines and Railways in Lefroy's Nationalist government on 28 June 1917, but Lutey defeated him in the ministerial by-election.

In September 1917, John Scaddan contested Albany as the National Labor candidate, but was again defeated.

On 17 May 1919, John Scaddan was appointed Colonial Secretary and Minister for Railways in James Mitchell's government, despite not being a member of either house of parliament.

On 25 June 1919, Mitchell reshuffled his government's portfolios, and John Scaddan was appointed Minister for Mines, Industries, Forests and Police; and Minister for Railways.

John Scaddan held these portfolios until the general election of March 1924, which he did not contest.

John Scaddan was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1923.

John Scaddan unsuccessfully contested the seat of Leederville in the general elections of March 1927.

John Scaddan won the seat of Maylands in the election of May 1930, upon which he was appointed Minister for Railways, Mines, Police, Forests and Industry in the Mitchell government.

From 1927 on, John Scaddan worked as a stock, farm and estate agent.

John Scaddan was a member of the Perth Roads Board from 1926, and its chairman from 1931 to 1934.

John Scaddan died suddenly on 21 November 1934, and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.