Henry Daglish

Who was Henry Daglish?

Henry Daglish was the sixth Premier of Western Australia and the state's first Labor Premier.

Henry Daglish was born in Ballarat West, Victoria on 18 November 1866. He was educated in Geelong, and attended Melbourne University. He began a career in mechanical engineering, but abandoned it in 1883 and instead entered the Victorian public service, working as a clerk in the police department. On 20 August 1894 he married Edith Bishop. The following year, he resigned from the public service to go into business. In 1895 he also stood as a Labor party candidate in a by-election for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of South Melbourne, but received only 34 votes in an electorate of over 2000 electors. Later that year he wrote to the Western Australian premier Sir John Forrest requesting employment in Western Australia's public service. He was offered and accepted a position in Western Australia's police department. He eventually resigned, and entered business as an auctioner, accountant and legal manager.

Daglish became active in community life in Subiaco, and on 1 December 1900 was elected a member of the Subiaco Municipal Council. On 24 April 1901 he was elected to the seat of Subiaco in the Legislative Assembly, and resigned his position on the municipal council a month later. On 1 December 1902 he was elected Mayor of Subiaco, which office he held until 30 November 1904. He was re-elected as the Legislative Assembly member for Subiaco on 28 June 1904 with nearly 80 per cent of the vote. On 2 August he successfully moved a vote of no-confidence against Premier Walter James, and was asked to form Western Australia's first Labor government. He became premier, treasurer and minister for education on 10 August 1904. He gave up the education portfolio in June the following year.