John McPherson

Who was John McPherson?

John Abel McPherson was the first leader of the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party, then United Labor Party. He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and migrated with his wife to Adelaide in 1882, joining the South Australian Typographical Society and working as a printer.

McPherson played a big part in the building and management of the South Australian Trades Hall, home of the United Trades and Labor Council of which he became an honorary secretary in 1890. A pioneer in the Australian labour movement, he was an effective conciliator in disputes between employers and butchers, drivers, tanners and carriers, and maritime workers over shorter hours and wage regulation.

A UTLC meeting with the purpose of creating an elections committee was convened on 12 December 1890, and held on 7 January 1891. The elections committee was formed, officially named the United Labor Party of South Australia with McPherson the founding secretary. On 23 January 1892, McPherson won the East Adelaide by-election, becoming the first Labor member of the South Australian House of Assembly, and the first parliamentary Labor leader of South Australia, at the age of 32.