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Member Details

Mr William Arthur HOLMAN (1871 - 1934)

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Date of Birth: 04/08/1871
Place of Birth: Clapham, London, England
Date of Death: 05/06/1934
Place of Death: Gordon, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member for Cootamundra 24 Mar 1917 18 Feb 1920 2 years 10 months 26 days
The King's Message Committee No. 10 10 Aug 1915 13 Apr 1916 8 months 4 days
Petition of Thomas Michael Slattery Committee No. 7 06 Jul 1915 13 Apr 1916 9 months 8 days
Library Committee No. 6 02 Jul 1915 13 Apr 1916 9 months 12 days
Printing Committee No. 5 02 Jul 1915 13 Apr 1916 9 months 12 days
Refreshment Committee No. 4 02 Jul 1915 13 Apr 1916 9 months 12 days
Standing Orders Committee No. 3 02 Jul 1915 13 Apr 1916 9 months 12 days
Minister of Public Instruction 06 Mar 1915 15 Mar 1915 10 days
Library Committee No. 3 22 Jul 1914 23 Feb 1915 7 months 2 days
Printing Committee No. 6 22 Jul 1914 23 Feb 1915 7 months 2 days
Refreshment Committee No. 5 22 Jul 1914 23 Feb 1915 7 months 2 days
Standing Orders Committee No. 4 22 Jul 1914 23 Feb 1915 7 months 2 days
Library Committee No. 3 11 Mar 1914 18 Apr 1914 1 month 8 days
Printing Committee No. 6 11 Mar 1914 18 Apr 1914 1 month 8 days
Refreshment Committee No. 5 11 Mar 1914 18 Apr 1914 1 month 8 days
Standing Orders Committee No. 4 11 Mar 1914 18 Apr 1914 1 month 8 days
Colonial Secretary 29 Jan 1914 30 Oct 1918 4 years 9 months 2 days
Member for Cootamundra 06 Dec 1913 21 Feb 1917 3 years 2 months 16 days
Library Committee No.4 06 Aug 1913 15 Oct 1913 2 months 10 days
Printing Committee No.6 06 Aug 1913 15 Oct 1913 2 months 10 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 06 Aug 1913 15 Oct 1913 2 months 10 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 06 Aug 1913 15 Oct 1913 2 months 10 days
Colonial Secretary and Attorney General 30 Jun 1913 29 Jan 1914 7 months
Premier 30 Jun 1913 12 Apr 1920 6 years 9 months 14 days
Parliamentary Accommodation Committee No.14 08 Nov 1912 05 Dec 1912 28 days
City Tattersalls Club Committee No.9 13 Sep 1912 19 Sep 1912 7 days
Attorney General 01 Apr 1912 29 Jun 1913 1 year 2 months 29 days
Operations of the Australian Jockey Club Committee No.22 20 Feb 1912 28 Mar 1912 1 month 9 days
Claims of Robert Roberts, late Bookbinder in the Registrar-General’s Department Committee No.17 19 Oct 1911 02 Nov 1911 15 days
Claims of Robert Roberts, late Bookbinder in the Registrar-General’s Department Committee No.17 19 Oct 1911 02 Nov 1911 15 days
Claims of Harry K.Carpenter Committee No.14 10 Oct 1911 22 Nov 1911 1 month 13 days
Claims of Mr Gustave William Engel Committee No.13 10 Oct 1911 18 Oct 1911 9 days
Case of Henry Harding, W.S Stead and others – Certificate of Title Committee No.9 04 Oct 1911 18 Oct 1911 15 days
Printing Committee No.6 12 Sep 1911 27 Mar 1911 0 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 12 Sep 1911 28 Mar 1912 6 months 17 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 12 Sep 1911 28 Mar 1912 6 months 17 days
Claims of Harry K.Carpenter Committee No.16 18 Jul 1911 01 Aug 1911 15 days
Case of Henry Harding W.S Stead, and others – Certificate of Title Committee No.12 04 Jul 1911 01 Aug 1911 29 days
Operations of the Australian Jockey Club Committee No.8 13 Jun 1911 01 Aug 1911 1 month 20 days
Library Committee No.4 30 May 1911 01 Aug 1911 2 months 3 days
Printing Committee No.6 30 May 1911 13 Jul 1911 1 month 14 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 30 May 1911 01 Aug 1911 2 months 3 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 30 May 1911 01 Aug 1911 2 months 3 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 30 Nov 1910 23 Dec 1910 24 days
Attorney General and Minister of Justice 21 Oct 1910 01 Apr 1912 1 year 5 months 12 days
Member for Cootamundra 14 Oct 1910 06 Nov 1913 3 years 24 days
Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 07 Jul 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 14 days
Library Committee No.4 28 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 24 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 21 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 2 months
Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 10 Aug 1909 09 Dec 1909 4 months
Library Committee No.4 14 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5 months 4 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 13 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5 months 5 days
Library Committee No.4 05 Aug 1908 19 Dec 1908 4 months 15 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 23 Jul 1908 19 Dec 1908 4 months 27 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 13 Mar 1908 11 Apr 1908 30 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 12 Mar 1908 11 Apr 1908 1 month
Standing Orders Committee No.2 24 Oct 1907 20 Dec 1907 1 month 27 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 22 Oct 1907 15 Nov 1907 25 days
Member for Cootamundra 10 Sep 1907 14 Sep 1910 3 years 5 days
David Berry Hospital Bill Committee No.14 22 Nov 1906 06 Dec 1906 15 days
Case of Henry Harding, W.S Stead and others – Certificate of Title Committee No.7 21 Aug 1906 27 Nov 1906 3 months 7 days
Member for Cootamundra 28 Jul 1906 19 Aug 1907 1 year 23 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 05 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 14 days
Testator’s Family Maintenance Committee No.23 28 Nov 1905 09 Dec 1905 12 days
Drummoyne Municipal Lands Sale Bill Committee No.21 03 Nov 1905 04 Dec 1905 1 month 2 days
Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Bill Committee No.11 08 Aug 1905 26 Sep 1905 1 month 19 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 28 Jun 1905 09 Dec 1905 5 months 12 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 14 Jun 1905 09 Dec 1905 5 months 26 days
Case of Henry Harding, W.S Stead, and others – Certificate of Title Committee No.7 27 Sep 1904 14 Dec 1904 2 months 18 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 21 Sep 1904 09 Nov 1904 1 month 20 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 24 Aug 1904 01 Dec 1904 3 months 8 days Chairman
Member for Cootamundra 06 Aug 1904 05 Jul 1906 1 year 11 months
Standing Orders Committee No.4 01 Jul 1903 01 Dec 1903 5 months 1 day
Proposed Government Alignment of Flood street, Leichhardt Committee No.21 28 Nov 1902 09 Dec 1902 12 days
Claim of Mr John Leonard against the Public Works Department Committee No.8 17 Jun 1902 19 Dec 1902 6 months 3 days Chairman
Standing Orders Committee No.4 17 Jun 1902 20 Dec 1902 6 months 4 days
Standing Orders Committee No.5 08 Aug 1901 20 Dec 1901 4 months 13 days
Member for Grenfell 03 Jul 1901 16 Jul 1904 3 years 14 days
Proposed Government Alignment of Flood-street Leichhardt Committee No.22 06 Sep 1900 29 Nov 1900 2 months 24 days
Case of William Reid Committee No.18 28 Aug 1900 20 Nov 1900 2 months 24 days Chairman
Municipal District of Inverell Reduced Area Bill Committee No.13 24 Jul 1900 18 Oct 1900 2 months 25 days
Claim of Mr. J. L. Davidson, Paddington Committee No. 12 03 Jul 1900 13 Sep 1900 2 months 11 days
Dismissal of Mrs. Abraham, Shaftesbury Girls Asylum Committee No. 8 03 Jul 1900 01 Dec 1900 4 months 29 days
Action of Mr.Chisholm, Police Magistrate at Wollongong, in the case of Morgan v. Clift Committee No. 22 21 Nov 1899 30 Nov 1899 10 days
Case of Thomas Buckley – Public Works Department Committee No.17 07 Nov 1899 20 Dec 1899 1 month 14 days
Case of Thomas Buckley, Public Works Department Committee No. 7 30 Aug 1898 23 Dec 1898 3 months 24 days
Member for Grenfell 27 Jul 1898 11 Jun 1901 2 years 10 months 16 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 27 Jul 1898 18 Feb 1920 21 years 6 months 23 days
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Member of the central executive 1897, 1904, 1906-12, 1914-16, deputy leader 1905, leader 1913-16; formed National Ministry after break with Labor over conscription 1916, campaign director of New South Wales National in 1926, president of National Association 1917- 1920, vice-president 1920-1929, 1931-1932.
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (barrister) and cabinet-maker. Educated in London. At fifteen apprenticed as cabinet-maker. Arrived in Melbourne with parents 1888, shortly afterwards journeyed to Sydney; worked at his trade but increasingly involved in lecturing and organising for Labor Leagues and briefly as organiser for Australia Workers' Union; part-owner and subeditor New Order 1894; part-owner and director of Daily Post 1895, the financial management of which led to charge of conspiracy to defraud and two months in gaol before conviction quashed. Contributor Grenfell Vedette 1895-1898, proprietor 1898-1904; read for Bar, admitted 1903, considerable practice mainly industrial; constitutional and common law; director of Sunday Times 1924-1926; in youth active Sydney. School of Arts Debating Society; Member Single Tax League 1890, Australia Socialist League 1891; delegate to the Trades and Labour Council (TLC) in 1892 for furnishing trades union; Executive Member Australia National Defence League 1905; Joint President of French-Australia League of Help 1914; Executive Member of Universal Service League 1915-1916; President of Food for Babies. Author with P.A. Jacobs of Australian Mercantile Law 1909, with D.R. Hall (q.v.) Cost of Living 1915, A National Stocktaking 1930, Three Lectures on the Australian Constitution 1938.
Military Service
Honours Received
King's Counsel (KC) in 1920
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Member of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. Member of the House of Representatives for Martin 1931 until 1934.
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of William and Martha May Bingley. Married Ada Augusta Kidgell on 22 Jan 1901 and had issue 1 daughter.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9 Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: 1. William Arthur Holman - papers, 1893 - 1935 (MLMSS 111). 2. Holman family - papers, 1866 - 1936 (MLMSS112).

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.