23 Facts About Thomas Hollway

Thomas Tuke Hollway was the 36th Premier of Victoria, and the first to be born in the 20th century.

Thomas Hollway held office from 1947 to 1950, and again for a short period in 1952.

Thomas Hollway was originally a member and the leader of the United Australia Party in Victoria, and was the inaugural leader of the UAP's successor, the Victorian division of the Liberal Party, but split from the Liberals after a dispute over electoral reform issues.

Thomas Hollway studied arts and law at the University of Melbourne's Trinity College, and was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1928, joining the Ballarat firm R J Gribble.

On 23 November 1940, UAP leader Sir Stanley Argyle died, and Thomas Hollway was elected party leader on 3 December.

In February 1942, whilst retaining his seat in parliament and the party leadership, Thomas Hollway enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force.

Thomas Hollway trained as an intelligence officer and served as a Flying Officer in Papua, before being discharged and transferred to the reserves in July 1943.

The UAP was brought under the Liberal Party of Australia banner in 1945 and Thomas Hollway became the inaugural leader of its Victorian division.

Thomas Hollway led the Liberal Party to victory in the 13 May 1950 state election, gaining the most seats of any party, and having supply support from the Country Party.

Thomas Hollway lost office on 27 June 1950, when he was overthrown by the Country Party under McDonald.

Thomas Hollway advised the Governor of Victoria, Sir Dallas Brooks to dissolve parliament again citing what he called "a great electoral fraud", but Brooks refused, and appointed McDonald to form a government.

Thomas Hollway considered Victoria's electoral system to be heavily rurally-biased, and suggested redrawing the state's electoral boundaries to emulate Tasmania's, that is, to follow the federal electoral divisions which were less malapportioned.

Thomas Hollway's proposal was called the "two-for-one system", where each of Victoria's 33 federal electorates would be divided into two for the purposes of the state's lower house elections.

Thomas Hollway convinced the state executive of the Liberal and Country Party to endorse his reform proposals, however there was considerable dissent in the party, particularly from members who feared losing their seats in the redistribution.

Thomas Hollway attempted to contain the divisions in his party, but on 4 December 1951, the party moved against him and his deputy Trevor Oldham, overthrowing their leadership and replacing them with Les Norman and Henry Bolte.

Thomas Hollway continued to advocate for electoral reform, and worked closely with the Labor Party to attempt to achieve it.

Thomas Hollway dismissed criticism of his negotiations with Labor with the assertion that his plan was for the good of the community, and transcended party politics.

On 17 September 1952, Thomas Hollway moved a motion of no confidence against McDonald's government, which was defeated by a one-vote majority.

On 30 September 1952, LCP leader Les Norman told the Legislative Assembly that he was in possession of six affidavits testifying that a representative of Thomas Hollway had offered financial and political incentives to various members of the assembly in return for their support in his no-confidence motion against McDonald's government.

Thomas Hollway later settled with The Age out of court, and the Royal Commission was never reconvened.

Thomas Hollway's ministry was to be the most short-lived in Victorian history, surviving only four days.

Brooks not only refused the request, but forced Thomas Hollway to resign and recommissioned McDonald as Premier.

Thomas Hollway was not expected to win against Norman, but then led the polling from the start of counting, defeating Norman easily.