Horace Nock

Who was Horace Nock?

Horace Keyworth Nock was an Australian politician, farmer and company director. He was born at Salisbury, South Australia to Joseph Nock and his second wife Eliza, née Keyworth.

Nock attended Tarlee State School and Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, and joined his father's store and wheat buying business, which he ran from his father's death in 1904 until 1914, when he relocated to a grazing property, Nelungaloo, near Parkes, New South Wales. Here, he established a prosperous mixed farm. He was president of the Farmers and Settlers' Association of New South Wales from 1928-1932, and was treasurer from 1938-1958.

Nock was elected to the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Riverina in 1931, representing the Country Party. He was temporary chairman of committees and then secretary and whip of the party in 1937. Nock was appointed Minister without portfolio administering External Territories in 1940, when Archie Cameron led the Country Party into the Menzies ministry. Later that year, he was defeated in his own electorate, and his campaign for the Senate in 1943 was unsuccessful.

A well-known representative of rural interests, Nock was known as the "Cockies' Patron Saint", and was a vigorous watchdog over tariffs. After leaving parliament, he remained closely involved with the Farmers and Settlers' Association, and also became involved with the Australian Wheatgrowers' Federation, Australian Pastoral Research Trust, the Australian Wool Board and the Australian Wool Council, and was Australia's representative at the International Wool Secretariat of 1948.