Ernest Durack

Who was Ernest Durack?

Ernest Durack was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1913 until 1917 and the leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales for 3 months until February 1917.

Durack was born near Bathurst. He was the son of a storekeeper and was educated at All Saints' College, Bathurst. In 1903 he married Cora Armstrong at Rydal and had two sons and three daughters with her. He found employment as a farmer and clerk until his entry to parliament at the 1913 election when he won the seat of Bathurst. In parliament his strong oratory skills were quickly noticed and he became Chairman of Committees.

In 1916 the ALP split over the question of conscription in World War I. Labor premier William Holman supported Prime Minister Billy Hughes in opposing the party's anti-conscription policy and he and 28 supporters were expelled from the party. Holman and his followers remained in power by forming a coalition government with the Liberal Reform Party of Charles Wade on 15 November 1916 and the ALP became the opposition with 21 supporters in a house of 90 members. Durack defeated John Storey in the ballot for leadership of the Labor party and became the Leader of the opposition. It was said that he was a much harder worker than Storey.