By Greg Blood
JAMES HENRY SCULLIN
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY
9th Prime Minister – 1929-1932
James “Jim’ Scullin had an interest in sport particularly Australian football, cricket and lawn bowls but it was more limited than several of the early prime ministers including Edmund Barton, George Reid and Stanley Bruce. He supported the Richmond Football Club that was located in his federal electorate and the Australian men’s cricket team, the most significant national sports team in the Australia at the time. He had a strong interest in the role of federal taxation and in 1930 he upset sections of the golfing community with a land tax on private golf courses. Scullin’s government had to navigate the severe economic and social impact of the Great Depression and as a result had limited impact on sport development in Australia.
Birth: 18 September 1873, Trawalla, Victoria Death: 28 January 1953, Melbourne, Victoria
Major Political Appointments
- Federal Member for Corangamite, Victoria: 13 April 1910 – 31 May 1913
- Federal Member for Yarra, Victoria: 18 February 1922 – 31 October 1949
- Ministries: Treasurer 9 July 1930 – 29 January 1931, Minister for Industry 22 October 1929 – 6 January 1932, Minister for External Affairs 22 October 1929 – 6 January 1932
- Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party: 17 March 1927 – 29 March 1928, Leader of the Australian Labor Party: 26 April 1928 – 1 October 1935
- Prime Minister: 22 October 1929 – 6 January 1932
Background
Scullin was born in Trawalla, Victoria on 18 September 1873 and he was the fourth of eight children to John and Ann (nee Logan). His parents were Irish Catholics from Londonderry, Northern Ireland. He attended Trawalla State School from 1881 to 1887 and Mount Rowan State School in Ballarat until twelve. He had the early reputation as an active and quick-witted boy, though never physically robust.[1] An article profiling Scullin as Australian Labor Party (ALP) opposition leader noted that “An accident increased his love of books. Playing football at school, he fell and received a kick intended for the ball. It was not till 10 years ago that an operation relieved him of the disability caused by that mishap. It had not prevented him from going to work, but sport was denied him and he sought solace in books”.[2]
In 1900, he ran a grocery shop in Ballarat for ten years. He attended night school in his mid-twenties and joined the Australian Natives Association and Catholic Young Men’s Society. In the early 1900’s, Scullin became a foundation member of his local Political Labor Council and campaigner/political organizer for the Australian Worker’s Union. At the 1906 federal election, he stood for federal electorate of Ballarat but was defeated by former prime minister Alfred Deakin. He was elected in the federal electorate of Corangamite at the 1910 federal election won by the ALP’s Andrew Fisher. However, he was defeated at the 1913 federal election won by Joseph Cook. After his defeat, he was appointed editor of the Evening Echo, Ballarat daily newspaper owned by the Australian Worker’s Union. In February 1922, he was elected to the federal electorate of Yarra in inner city Melbourne after the death of federal ALP leader Frank Tudor. In March 1927, he became the deputy leader of the ALP and in March 1928, he became the federal leader of the ALP after the resignation of Matthew Charlton. In 1929, he led the ALP to defeat the conservative Bruce government.
His time as prime minister was dominated by the impact of the Great Depression and a hostile Senate that made legislation difficult to pass. The ‘Wall Street crash’ took place in the first week of his government and this resulted in the Great Depression. The defection of Joseph Lyons to the federal opposition over economic policy differences resulted in Scullin government losing a no confidence motion in November 1931. The Scullin government went onto be defeated by United Australia Party led by Joseph Lyons at the 1931 federal election. Scullin resigned as ALP leader in 1935 due to ill health. He remained in Parliament until December 1949 and his advice was frequently sought by future Prime Ministers John Curtin and Ben Chifley.[3]
Scullin’s suffered from bouts ill-health from the mid 1930’s and this continued to his death on 28 January 1953 in Melbourne.
Scullin sporting background was extremely limited compared to his predecessor Stanley Bruce due injuries suffered as a ten year old and commitment to worker’s rights. He was a follower of Australian football and cricket from a local and national perspective respectively. After moving to Canberra in 1927, he took up lawn bowls as it was a recreation activity that most likely required limited exertion and the location of bowling greens close to Parliament House.
Australian Football
After becoming the Federal member for Yarra based around Richmond in Melbourne, he took an interest in the Richmond Football Club. In March 1922, the Richmond Football Club chronology noted that federal labor leader Jim Scullin announced that he intends to “… throw in his lot with them (Richmond).”[4] The 1929 Richmond Football Club congratulated Scullin on being elected prime minister. Scullin regularly attended the Club’s annual general meetings (AGM) held at the Richmond Town Hall. At their 1933 AGM following winning the 1932 VFL premiership, Scullin “said the name, of Richmond and’ the “Tigers” was well known too only in Australia but overseas. He was in the Strand in London one day when a crowded bus passed him, and there broke forth from someone on the bus the well-known Richmond football cry of “Eat ’em alive”.[5]At their 1942 AGM, he addressed the audience and outlined his views on football continuing during World War II by stating “If it was to go on it would probably be played by men in essential services and the AMT when they could get leave. He was sure that the public wanted it.[6]
In August 1930, there is an image of Scullin bouncing the ball to start game between Ballarat representative team and Western Australian Subiaco team. [7]
Cricket
As prime minister, like many Australians at the time, he followed the Australian men’s cricket team. 1930 Sydney Morning Herald article noted his interest:
Prime Minister (Mr. Scullin) takes a lively interest In international cricket. When asked by a “Herald” representative yesterday whether he would comment upon the exclusion from the Australian Eleven of J. Ryder, who is one of Mr Scullin’s constituents, the Prime Minister said “I am very sorry Ryder is not going ” He made it plain, however, that that was merely his personal opinion, and that he did not wish to enter into a controversy on the subject.[8]
In March 1930, Scullin sent a message to the departing Australian team for the 1930 Ashes series in England led by Bill Woodfull. It was his expectation that they would be returning with the Ashes. During the 1930 Ashes series, it was reported during the second test at Lord’s that:
Inspite of his busy hours at Parliament House last night. Mr. Scullin was able to keep in frequent touch with the progress of the Test. Every now and then, messengers brought him slips of paper which told that Australia’s hopes of an outright win were becoming brighter. Mr. Scullin even spent a few minutes by a loudspeaker after House adjourned.[9]
Australia went on to win the second test and the Ashes series 2-1. It had last won the Ashes in 1924-25 season.
Lawn Bowls
Scullin appears to have taken up lawn bowls after moving to Canberra with transfer of federal parliament in 1927. The existence of bowling greens at Parliament House and nearby Hotel Canberra most likely led Scullin to taking up bowls. He was a member of the Canberra Bowling Club and the Canberra Times often reported his bowling results from 1929 to 1938. It should be remembered during Scullin’s time in Canberra; the capital city was still regarded as a ‘small bush town’ and there were limited recreational opportunities for residents. His predecessor Stanley Bruce highlighted the importance of playing golf whilst living in Canberra and this led to the upgrade of the Canberra Golf Course.
Taxation of Golf Private Courses
In 1930, the Scullin government upset private golf clubs and their members with the reimposition of a land tax. It repealed, the Bruce government’s decision to remove these taxes in 1927. During the Second Reading of Land Tax Assemment Bill 1927, Scullin stated his concern regarding the revenue lost by exempting private golf courses. [10]. Treasurer Ted Theodore during the Second Reading of the Land Tax Assessment Bill 1930 made several statements regarding the introduction of the land tax on golf courses[11]:
The Commonwealth land tax did apply to land held by golf clubs until a couple of years ago, when, by an amendment introduced by the last Government, it was exempted. I see no reason why such land should escape taxation. Racing clubs are subject to land taxation, and I do not think that golf clubs can be classed in a different category. They are not like cricket and football clubs, whose games are conducted largely in public parks or on other laud from which the public is not excluded.
and
The public certainly has to pay to witness the league games; but it must be admitted that golf is an exclusive game, and I cannot see why the golf clubs should not pay tax on lands that would be subject to taxation if they were not specially exempted. If there were more municipal golf clubs, something might be said in favour of an exemption.
An unauthored article in Brisbane’s The Telegraph stated that the conservative view of this tax:
Mr. Scullin and the majority of his tribe may regard golfers as “Tories” and therefore fair prey for attack and plunder. We can see no good reason for this new form of taxation, and unquestionably it is to be condemned on the ground that golf is singled out for ill-treatment, land used for all other kinds of athletic sport and recreation (except racecourses) being still exempt from taxation”.
The article went on to highlight the importance of golf to former prime minister Bruce by stating his “great servIces to the nation call for gratitude, has attributed his bodily fitness, to exercise and mental relaxation obtained on the links, and that certainly was beneficial to the nation as well as to the Individual.[12]
1930 Hamilton British Empire Games and 1932 Los Angles Olympic Games
There were no published reports regarding the Scullin’s government’s funding or reaction to Australian performance at the inaugural British Empire Games held in Hamilton Canada in 1930.
Federal governments provided the Australian Olympic Federation (AOF) limited funding to send Australian team to the Olympic Games from 1920 Antwerp Games. This was continued for the 1924 Paris and 1928 Amsterdam Games. Due to the Great Depression, Jim Eve, Secretary-Treasurer AOF, indicated it would not ask for the Scullin government’s assistance for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games.[13] These Games were held after his government lost office in January 1932.
Conclusion
Scullin had limited participation in sport growing up due to injury sustained whilst playing football. But after moving to Canberra in 1927, lawn bowls him provided him some relaxation from the rigours of federal parliament and leading the nation. The significant sporting deeds of Phar Lap – winning consecutive Melbourne Cup’s in 1930 and 1931 and cricket’s record breaking batsman Bradman provided enjoyment and distraction to the Australian community in the difficult years of the Great Depression. Interestingly, Adelaide’s The News report on Phar Lap’s 1931 win stated that “Mr Scullin has no interest in racing. After a few hours, at his desk he enjoyed a pleasant game of bowls in the Canberra sunshine”.[14]
Scullin and his government had a limited impact of sport development due to their focus on managing the dire outcomes of Great Depression. His interest in the Richmond Football Club followed the pattern of many politicians supporting the major sporting team in their electorate.
References
1. Robertson, John. J.H. Scullin: A Political Biography. Nedlands, Western Australia, University of Western Australia Press, 1974, p.2-24
2. Two Careers, The Herald (Melbourne), 16 November 1928, p.4
3. Online biographies – Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Archives of Australia, Museum of Australian Democracy
4. 1922 Chronology, Tigerland Archive
5. Premiership Pennant Presented. The Age (Melbourne), 19 January 1933, p.14
6. Future of Football, The Argus (Melbourne), 13 February 1942, p. 8
7. Mr. Scullin Starts Ballarat v. Subiaco Match,The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne), 18 August 1930, p.36
8. Prime Minister’s Comment, The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 February 1930, p.12
9. Prime Minister and The Test, Evening News (Sydney), 2 July 1930, p. 7
10. James Scullin, Second Reading of Land Tax Assessment Bill 1927, House of Representatives Hansard, 7 December 1927, p 2809
11. Ted Theodore, Second Reading Land Tax Assessment Bill 1930, House of Representatives Hansard, 14 March 1930, p. 187
12. Taxation of Golfers, The Telegraph (Brisbane), 21 March 1930, p. 8
13. Harry Gordon, Australia and the Olympic Games, Brisbane, University of Queensland Press, 1994, p.134
14. Why Mr. Theodore Fancied Phar Lap The News (Adelaide), 3 November 1931, p.4
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