Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley, born on September 22, 1885, in Bathurst, New South Wales, was an influential Australian politician and Prime Minister known for his commitment to social equality and workers' rights. He began his career in the New South Wales Government Railways and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a prominent union official. His political journey began in earnest after witnessing labor injustices, eventually leading him to serve as a member of the Australian Labor Party. After a series of political setbacks, Chifley secured a seat in the House of Representatives in 1928 and later held significant roles, including Minister for Defense and Treasurer during World War II.
As Prime Minister from 1945 to 1949, Chifley oversaw Australia's postwar reconstruction, implementing policies that boosted the economy and expanded social welfare services. His initiatives included the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric project and a focus on immigration to enhance the workforce. Despite his progressive vision, his proposal to nationalize banks led to electoral defeat in 1949. Chifley remained an influential figure in the Labor Party until his death in 1951, leaving a legacy of a more humane and equitable Australia. His impact continues to be recognized, with institutions like the Chifley Research Centre dedicated to his ideals.
Ben Chifley
Politician
- Born: September 22, 1885
- Birthplace: Bathurst, New South Wales
- Died: June 13, 1951
- Place of death: Canberra, Australia Capital Territory
Also known as: Joseph Benedict Chifley
Significance: A former union activist, Ben Chifley was Australia’s treasurer and minister of postwar reconstruction during World War II and its prime minister and treasurer from 1945 to 1949. He reshaped Australia through economic initiatives and social reforms.
Background
Ben Chifley was born on September 22, 1885, in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, to Mary Anne (Corrigan) and Patrick Chifley, both of Irish descent. The eldest of three sons, Chifley lived with his paternal grandfather and aunt in Limekilns from the age of five to thirteen. He worked as a laborer on their farm and attended a small bush school. Following his grandfather’s death in 1899, Chifley returned to Bathurst. He attended Patrician Brothers’ School, a Catholic high school, for two years. After completing his education in 1900, he worked as a cashier’s assistant at a general store in Bathurst.
Railway Career
Around 1903, Chifley became a shopboy for the New South Wales Government Railways. He progressed to cleaner and, by 1909, to fireman, the railway worker responsible for shoveling coal into the engine’s firebox. Concerned about the disparity between workers’ wages and business owners’ profits, Chifley developed a strong interest in workers’ rights and social equality. He joined a trade union, the Locomen’s Association, and became a union official in 1912, representing the union in disputes before the State Arbitration Court. In 1914, he was promoted to first-class locomotive engine driver, becoming the youngest-ever first-class engine driver in New South Wales. During this period, Chifley took night classes at the Workers’ Educational Association and a local technical school. He read finance and economics, became known for his expertise in these subjects, and eventually became an instructor at the Bathurst Railway Institute. He also was involved in sports and a member of the Rugby Union.
After Chifley participated in a 1917 union strike over working conditions, he lost his job but was reinstated as a cleaner upon appeal. Chifley became a leading member of the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen, formed in 1920, and was a member of its state general committee and its delegate to federal conferences. During World War I (1914-1918), Chifley was a leader of the local anti-conscription movement.
Political Career
Chifley entered politics with a desire to end government abuses of power such as those he had witnessed during the 1917 strike. After two failed attempts in 1922 and 1924 to be selected as an Australian Labor Party candidate for the Bathurst seat in the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales, he ran as the Labor candidate for the Macquarie seat in Parliament of Australia’s House of Representatives in 1925 but lost the election.
In 1928, Chifley won the Macquarie seat in Parliament. Appointed the defense minister in James Scullin’s government in March 1931, he implemented policies to reduce the defense budget, provide surplus military clothing to needy individuals, and prohibit the use of the military forces to maintain order in industrial disputes during the Great Depression. He lost his seat when the Labor Party suffered a landslide defeat in the December 1931 federal election.
Chifley spent the 1930s in local politics and public service. He was a member of the Abercrombie Shire Council (1933–47) and chair of the Bathurst District Hospital (1937–44). He was also a member of the Royal Commission on Monetary and Banking Systems (1935–36), where he learned about government finance and Keynesian economic theories. As state president of the Labor Party in New South Wales, he revitalized and unified the party and led it to a substantial victory in the 1941 state election.
Chifley returned to Parliament on November 20, 1940, as a member for Macquarie. Reelected in the next four elections, he held his seat through June 13, 1951. In October 1941, John Curtin appointed him the federal treasurer and he took on the tasks of financing Australia's participation in World War II (1939-1945) and controlling inflation. To prevent overseas debt, he promoted public savings and war loans, increased taxes, and raised bank credit. He reorganized the economy through measures that controlled prices, production, trade, purchasing power, and consumption, and expanded the power of the federal government to levy taxes. In addition to serving as treasurer, he became the minister of postwar reconstruction on December 22, 1942, and held the post through February 1945.
Curtin died in office on July 5, 1945. Chifley was elected the Labor Party’s leader and became the prime minister on July 13, 1945. He retained his post as treasurer. Chifley led the country through the postwar reconstruction and helped to create a booming economy. He created several national projects, including the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric project, that provided work opportunities for returning service members, and advocated for an assisted immigration program to increase Australia’s workforce, which led to a wave of immigrants that increased Australia’s population and changed its cultural makeup. He expanded social welfare services and promoted legislation that gave the federal government greater powers, including to collect income tax. His attempts to nationalize the banks, however, were highly unpopular and led to the loss of his government in the 1949 election.
Chifley remained the head of the Labor Party and served as the leader of the Opposition in Parliament from 1949 until his death of a heart attack on June 13, 1951.
Impact
One of Chifley’s chief goals as a politician was to create a more humane Australia, one with a higher quality of life for all Australians and a social safety net for those in need. He succeeded in making Australia more progressive, with a stronger federal government, and laid the foundation for many of its modern social services. The Chifley Research Centre in Canberra was established in his honor and continues to work toward achieving his goals. A sculpture of Chifley with John Curtin was commissioned in 2011 and is located in the Parliamentary Triangle district of Canberra.
Personal Life
Chifley and Elizabeth Gibson McKenzie married on June 6, 1914, and made their home in Bathurst. Chifley’s personal interests included reading and gardening.
Bibliography
“Ben Chifley.” Australian Prime Ministers Centre, primeministers.moadoph.gov.au/prime-ministers/ben-chifley. Accessed 14 Mar. 2020.
“Ben Chifley.” Chifley Research Centre, www.chifley.org.au/ben-chifley/. Accessed 14 Mar. 2020.
Day, David A. Chifley: A Life. HarperCollins, 2007.
“The Funeral of Ben Chifley.” Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, 2015, www.bathurst.catholic.org.au/?i=2108&the-funeral-of-ben-chifley. Accessed 14 Mar. 2020.
Waterson, D. B. “Chifley, Joseph Benedict (Ben) (1885–1951).” Australian Dictionary of Biography,1993, adb.anu.edu.au/biography/chifley-joseph-benedict-ben-9738/text17199. Accessed 14 Mar. 2020.