Biographical entry Dawson, Andrew (Anderson) (1863 - 1910)

Summary

Andrew Dawson was born in Queensland in 1863 and educated at Brisbane and Gympie. Starting work as a miner, he joined the Kimberley rush in 1885. Unsuccessful, he returned to Queensland and took on the role of President of the local Miners’ Union in 1891. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly as a Labor member in 1893 and in 1899 formed the first Labor government in the world when the incumbent Dickson Liberal government resigned and he was asked to form a minority ministry. After five days, Dawson resigned from office when Liberal Robert Philp was voted Dickson’s replacement. Dawson entered federal politics as a Senator for Queensland and held the portfolio of minister for defence under John Watson. He died in 1910.

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See also

• Australia's Prime Ministers, National Archives of Australia, http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/. Details