27 Facts About Lee Batchelor

Egerton Lee Batchelor was an Australian politician and trade unionist.

Lee Batchelor was a pioneer of the Australian Labor Party in South Australia, which at the time was known as the United Labor Party.

Lee Batchelor was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly, leading the ULP from 1898 until his resignation in 1899 to accept a ministerial post in a non-Labor government, with the party's approval.

Lee Batchelor was Minister for Home Affairs under Chris Watson, and then served two terms as Minister for External Affairs under Andrew Fisher.

Lee Batchelor suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 46 while climbing Mount Donna Buang.

Lee Batchelor was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1865 and after the early death of his photographer father, he and his two brothers were raised by his mother.

Lee Batchelor was educated at the North Adelaide Model School and worked there as a pupil-teacher when he was 12.

Lee Batchelor worked at the North Adelaide Church of Christ secondary school but became an apprentice engine-fitter in the government engineering plant in the Adelaide suburb of Islington at 17.

Lee Batchelor soon became active in the labour movement and joined the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1882 and was its president four times between 1889 and 1898.

Lee Batchelor was president of the Railway Service Mutual Association.

Lee Batchelor was elected treasurer of the Trades and Labor Council in 1892 and secretary in 1893.

In 1891, Lee Batchelor was a prominent founding member of the United Labor Party.

Lee Batchelor was the ULP secretary from 1892 to 1896 and was president in 1898.

Lee Batchelor was nominated for election to the South Australian House of Assembly on behalf of the ULP in 1893.

Lee Batchelor gained widespread support from the electorate, and was elected at the top of the poll, becoming one of ten of the first Labor Members of Parliament in South Australia, after John McPherson, the first ULP leader, was elected to East Adelaide in a 1892 by-election.

Lee Batchelor defeated a sitting minister in his seat, and outpolled Charles Kingston, a later Premier of South Australia.

When McPherson died in 1897, Lee Batchelor became Labor leader, with the party continuing to support the Kingston liberal government.

Lee Batchelor resigned from caucus and from the leadership and became the first Labor member in Australia to join a non-Labor ministry, with the party's unanimous approval.

Lee Batchelor retired from the South Australian parliament in 1901 and stood for election to the Parliament of Australia in the first Australian election.

Lee Batchelor was the only Labor member of the seven MPs.

In 1904, Lee Batchelor was the Minister for Home Affairs in the government of Chris Watson.

Lee Batchelor was a "certain inclusion" in Watson's ministry, and along with Billy Hughes had been counselled Watson in selecting the remainder of the Watson ministry.

Lee Batchelor was nominated in the leadership contest when Watson retired as inaugural Labor leader in 1907 but declined to stand.

From 1908 to 1909, and again from 1910 to 1911, Lee Batchelor was the Minister for External Affairs under the governments of Andrew Fisher.

Lee Batchelor attended the 1911 Imperial Conference along with Fisher, as the leading spokesperson on trade and foreign policy matters.

Lee Batchelor was survived by his wife and six children.

Lee Batchelor was the first serving Minister who was a member of the parliament to die in office.