Thomas Givens

Who was Thomas Givens?

Thomas Givens was an Irish-born Australian politician. Born in County Tipperary, he received a primary education before migrating to Australia in 1882. He became a bush worker and miner in Queensland, and was secretary of the Queensland Miners' Union, as well as proprietor of the Cairns Daily Times. In 1899, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland as the Labor member for Cairns, a position he held until 1902. In 1903, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Queensland Labor Senator.

On 9 July 1913, he was elected President of the Senate, succeeding his Labor colleague Harry Turley. He left the Labor Party in the wake of the 1916 split over conscription and joined the new Nationalist Party, keeping his position as President of the Senate. On 30 June 1926, he was succeeded as President by John Newlands. His 13 years as President make him the second longest serving President after Alister McMullin. Givens died in 1928 while still a Senator; the Queensland Parliament appointed Labor member John MacDonald as his replacement.