Biographical entry Chifley, Joseph Benedict (Ben) (1885 - 1951)
- Born
- 1885
Bathurst, New South Wales - Died
- 1951
- Occupation
- Politician - Federal - MHR and Trade Unionist
Summary
Born in Bathurst in 1885, Ben Chifley joined the New South Wales Railways in his teens, while still attending school. During the 1917 transport dispute, Chifley, a member of the Engine Drivers' union and later, Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen, became known as a prominent strike leader, an act for which he was dismissed and then reinstated. He won preselection for the federal seat of Macquarie in 1925, and was successful three years later. He was appointed Treasurer in the Curtin administration and was acting Prime Minister for some months while John Curtin was admitted to hospital before his death. Chifley was Prime Minister of Australia from 1945-1949.
Related entries
Union Membership(s)
Archival resources
National Archives of Australia, National Office
- Papers - Ben Chifley, 1940 - 1949; National Archives of Australia, National Office. Details
National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection
- Lloyd Ross - Papers, 1854-1986, 1854 - 1986, MS 3939; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details
National Library of Australia Oral History Collection
- Bill O'Neill interviewed by Richard Raxworthy in the Labor Council of New South Wales oral history project, 1986, ORAL TRC 1948/22; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details
State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection
Published resources
Books
- Day, David, Chifley, HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd, Australia, 2001, 424 pp. Details
Book Sections
- Waterson, D.B., 'Chifley, Joseph Benedict', in Ritchie, John (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 13, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1993, pp. 412-420. Details
Edited Books
- Grattan, Michelle (ed.), Australian Prime Ministers, New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd, Australia, 2001, 512 pp. Details
Journal Articles
- Sheridan, Tom, 'The 1945 Steel Strike: Trade Unions, The New Order and Mr Chifley', Labour History, vol. 42, Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, Sydney, 1982, pp. 1-26. Details
Online Resources
- 'Primary description of person CP 268 - The Rt Hon Joseph Benedict Chifley PC', in RecordSearch, National Archives of Australia, http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CP+268. Details
- 'Ben Chifley', in Australia's Prime Ministers, National Archives of Australia, http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/chifley/. Details
- Prime Ministers of Australia: Ben Chifley, National Museum of Australia, 2001, http://www.nma.gov.au/education/school_resources/websites_and_interactives/primeministers/ben_chifley/. Details
Bruce A. Smith
Created: 27 July 2001, Last modified: 29 November 2002