Home > William McKell

During the 1930s McKell became a leader of the opposition within the Labor Party to Lang's dictatorial rule and his electoral failures. In 1939Events January-June January 2 End of term for Frank Finley Merriam, 28th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Culbert Levy Olson. January 24 Earthquake kills 30. 000 in Chile about 50. 000 sq mi razed January 26 Falangists take Barcelona January 26 he displaced Lang as leader, and in 19411941 is also the title of a Steven Spielberg movie made in 1979 see 1941 (film). Events January January 6 Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms Speech in the State of the Union Address. January 10 Lend-Lease is introduced into the United St he won a convincing victory in the state elections, mainly by concentrating on country seats. During World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough he became a close collaborator of Labor Prime Ministers John CurtinJohn Curtin ( January 8 1885 July 5 1945), Australian politician and 14th Prime Minister of Australia, led Australia through the darkest period of its history: when the Australian mainland came under direct military threat during the Japanese advance in W and Ben ChifleyJoseph Benedict Chifley ( September 22 1885 June 13 1951), Australian politician and 16th Prime Minister of Australia, was one of Australia's most influential Prime Ministers. Among his govenment's accomplishments were the post-war immigration scheme unde, being a particularly close friend of the latter. In February 1947 Chifley appointed him Governor-General.

Chifley was determined that the Governor-General who succeeded the Duke of Gloucester should be an Australian, and he seems to have deliberately chosen a Labor man with a working-class background to make a political point. There was a predictable outcry from the Liberal opposition and the conservative press: Robert Menzies called the appointment "shocking and humiliating." There was some resistance in London but the days when the King could question an Australian Prime Minister on this matter had passed.

Once McKell took office, however, the continuing respect for the Crown and its representative meant that there was no further criticism. McKell carried out the usual round of vice-regal duties with dignity, and succeded in winning over all but the most inflexible Anglophiles. When Menzies succeeded Chifley as Prime Minister in December 1949, his relations with the Governor-General were cordial, if not exactly friendly.

The most controversial moment in McKell's career came in March 1951, when Menzies asked him for a double dissolution election. Labor had retained control of the Senate after the 1949 election, and the Senate had referred the government's banking bill to a committee. Menzies argued that this constituted "failure to pass" in terms of Section 57 of the Australian Constitution.

Many in the Labor party, though not Chifley, though that McKell should and would refuse Menzies a double dissolution, but he agreed with little hesitation. McKell took the view that it was for the voters, not the Governor-General, to determine whether the Senate or Menzies was right: he saw it as his duty to act on the advice of his Prime Minister.

McKell retired in May 1953 and lived in Sydney for another 30 years, becoming one of the grand old men of the New South Wales Labor Party. He died in Sydney in 1985.