Mr Thomas Davies MUTCH (1885 - 1958)**

Date of Birth: 17/10/1885 Place of Birth: London, England Date of Death: 04/06/1958 Place of Death: Coogee, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Notes Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 24 Mar 1917 18 Apr 1941 24yr(s) 26day(s) Member for Botany 24 Mar 1917 18 Feb 1920 2yr(s) 10mth(s) 26day(s) 24th (1917 - 1920) Member for Botany 20 Mar 1920 17 Feb 1922 1yr(s) 10mth(s) 29day(s) 25th (1920 - 1922) Member for Botany 25 Mar 1922 18 Apr 1925 3yr(s) 25day(s) 26th (1922 - 1925) Member for Botany 30 May 1925 7 Sep 1927 2yr(s) 3mth(s) 9day(s) 27th (1925 - 1927) Member for Botany 8 Oct 1927 18 Sep 1930 2yr(s) 11mth(s) 11day(s) 28th (1927 - 1930) Member for Coogee 25 Jun 1938 18 Apr 1941 2yr(s) 9mth(s) 25day(s) 32nd (1938 - 1941) Minister of Public Instruction and Local Government 13 Apr 1920 10 Oct 1921 1yr(s) 5mth(s) 28day(s) Minister of Public Instruction 10 Oct 1921 20 Dec 1921 2mth(s) 11day(s) Minister of Public Instruction 20 Dec 1921 13 Apr 1922 3mth(s) 25day(s) Minister for Education 17 Jun 1925 26 May 1927 1yr(s) 11mth(s) 10day(s)

Political Party Activity

Australian Labor Party (ALP). Joined at an early age, member of central executive from 1913 until 1917, delegate to federal conferences in 1916 and 1918; elected as a leader for anti Lang group in 1927, expelled; Independent Labor in 1927 election; executive in All for Australia League; United Australia Party, resigned in 1941.

Community Activity

Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1916.

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Journalist. Arrived in New South Wales in 1887; educated at Double Bay public school; spent four years in outback shearing sheds; joined Australian Workers' Union, executive member and delegate to the Trades and Labor Council (TLC); joined staff worker in Sydney in 1903; assisted to found Australian Writers and Artists' Union in 1910 which amalgamated with Australian Journalists' Association in 1913, New South Wales president and federal vice president from 1915 until 1916; member of defence committee in 1917 strike, convicted of incitement; active anti-conscriptionist; visited the United States of America in 1919; after defeat in 1930 became unemployed, freelance journalist and chief advertising staff from 1931 until 1932, part time editor with New South Wales Bookstall in 1936, editor from 1936 until 1937, public relations officer George Fitzpatrick Pty Limited, advertising agency in 1941; school broadcasts and regular talks for Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 1936 until 1949; director of North Brighton Suburb Estate Property Limited, Randwich Co-operative Building Society and Harmonic Resonator Pty Limited; investments mining and property in Sydney; director of 'Labor Daily' in 1926; foundation member of the National Roads and Motorists Association; councillor from 1924 until 1928; member of Board of Fire Commissioners from 1936 until 1954; trustee of Public Library of New South Wales from 1916 until 1958, Mitchell Library committee from 1924 until 1958; foundation member of Henry Lawson Memorial Trust in 1922; executive of Royal Australian Historical Society from 1943 until 1947, fellow in 1943; councillor of Australian Society of Genealogists in 1945, fellow in 1946; author in 1933, 1942 and pamphlets; compiler index to early settlers now in the Mitchell Library; Freemason.

Local Government Activity

Alderman at Mascot from 1923 until 1930, Randwick from 1931 until 1937.

Personal

Son of William Murdoch, busdriver, and Sarah Davies. Married (1) Edith Marjorie Hasenham on 23 September 1912. Married (2) Dorothy Annette Joyce on 26 March 1928 at Melbourne, Victoria and had issue, 1 daughter and 1 son. Funeral at Waverley cemetery from St James Church of England church in King Street.

Additional Information

Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: T.D Mutch - papers (MLMSS 426)

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