Chifley, Joseph Benedict (Ben) - Australian Trade Union Archives Biographical entry

Australian Trade Union Archives
Biographical entry

Home | Browse | Search | Previous | Next

Chifley, Joseph Benedict (Ben) (1885 - 1951)

Related Entries

Online Sources

Archival/Heritage Sources

Published Sources

Politician - Federal - MHR and Trade Unionist

Born: 1885 Bathurst, New South Wales. Died: 1951.

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.

Union Membership(s)

Top of Page

Online Sources

Published Sources

'Chifley, Joseph Benedict (Ben)', Australia's Prime Ministers, National Archives of Australia, http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/whoswho.asp?txtKeyword=Joseph+Chifley&searchType=keyw.... [ Details ]

'Ben Chifley', in Australia's Prime Ministers, National Archives of Australia, http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/meetpm.asp?pmId=16. [ Details ]

National Museum of Australia, Prime Ministers of Australia Scrapbook: Ben Chifley, National Museum of Australia, 2001, http://www.nma.gov.au/primeministers/3.htm. [ Details ]

Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.

Prepared by: Bruce A. Smith
Created: 27 July 2001
Modified: 29 November 2002

Published by University of Melbourne, 7 March 2002
Based on "Parties to the Award" published 1994.
Submit any comments, questions, corrections and additions
Prepared by: Acknowledgements
Updated: 29 June 2006
http://www.atua.org.au/biogs/ALE0981b.htm

[ Top of page | Australian Trade Union Archives Home | Browse | Search ]