1. Robert Hastie was an Australian politician who was the first parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in Western Australia.
22 Facts About Robert Hastie
1. 2.
Robert Hastie was a member of the state's Legislative Assembly from 1901 to 1905.
3.
Robert Hastie was replaced as leader by Henry Daglish in July 1904, who became premier the following month.
4.
Robert Hastie served as a minister in Daglish's government, but was defeated for preselection at the early 1905 election.
5.
Robert Hastie eventually left the Labour Party, and unsuccessfully stood for the Commonwealth Liberal Party at the 1910 federal election.
6.
Robert Hastie was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to Christina and William Robert Hastie, his father being a British Army soldier.
7.
Robert Hastie studied at the Andersonian Institute in Glasgow, and then as a young man emigrated to New Zealand.
8.
Robert Hastie spent five years in the North Island, including a period prospecting in Thames.
9.
In 1890, Robert Hastie moved to Victoria, where he spent another five years before coming to Western Australia.
10.
Robert Hastie was a frequent letter-writer to local newspapers, sometimes under a pseudonym, and was the organiser a weekly lecture series in Kanowna.
11.
At the 1901 state election, Robert Hastie stood for the seat of Kanowna, which was one of a number of new seats created in the Eastern Goldfields.
12.
Robert Hastie faced five other candidates, all running for the Opposition faction, but polled exactly 60 percent of the vote to record a large victory.
13.
Robert Hastie's leadership was renewed twice, in July 1902 and July 1903.
14.
Robert Hastie was appointed Minister for Justice and Minister for Mines in the new ministry.
15.
Robert Hastie remained in the ministry only until August 1905, when the Daglish government was defeated on a confidence motion.
16.
Robert Hastie stood for Labour preselection in Kanowna for a third time, but was defeated by Thomas Walker.
17.
Robert Hastie placed only third out of five candidates, with 19.1 percent of the vote.
18.
Robert Hastie remained involved in public life, giving several lectures on political topics at the Perth Trades Hall.
19.
In January 1910, Robert Hastie announced his intention to contest the Division of Coolgardie at the 1910 federal election, standing for the Commonwealth Liberal Party against the sitting Labour member, Hugh Mahon.
20.
Robert Hastie lost the election to Mahon by a large margin, polling 23.8 percent of the vote.
21.
In late 1910, Robert Hastie joined in the rush to Bullfinch, representing the interests of a Perth gold-mining syndicate.
22.
Robert Hastie was hospitalised again in December, and died in Melbourne in April 1914, aged 53.