Paddy Crick

William Patrick Crick (10 February 1862 – 23 August 1908) was an Australian politician, solicitor and newspaper proprietor. He was described by author Cyril Pearl as an irresistible demagogue, who "looked like a prize fighter, dressed like a tramp, talked like a bullocky, and to complete the pattern of popular virtues, owned champion horses which he backed heavily and recklessly."[1]

Paddy Crick
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for West Macquarie
In office 1887–1904
Preceded by	Fergus Smith
Succeeded by	Abolished
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Blayney
In office 1904–1906
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	John Withington
Personal details
Born	William Patrick Crick (1862-02-10)10 February 1862 Truro, South Australia
Died	23 August 1908(1908-08-23) (aged 46) Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
Resting place	Waverley Cemetery

Early life

Crick was born at Truro, South Australia and in about 1868 the family moved into western New South Wales, settling at Spicer's Creek near Wellington. He attended St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1886 and developed a successful practice in the criminal courts. In 1890 he married Mary Catherine Kelly, but they separated in 1892.[2]

Political career

In 1885 Crick and Edward O'Sullivan founded the Land and Industrial Alliance, a protectionist party aimed at country selectors and city workers, and ran unsuccessfully for election to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1887. As an independent protectionist he was elected in 1889 as the member for West Macquarie.[3]

He was notable for his verbal aggression in the house, especially when drunk, and in October 1889 he called several parliamentarians "bloody Orange hounds and thieves" and was subsequently found guilty of a contempt. In November 1890, Crick was ordered out of the House, but had to be physically removed. He was then expelled, but won the ensuing by-election.[4]

In August 1890 Crick was involved with William Nicholas Willis in founding the Truth newspaper, which was intended to promote their political and social views, but instead became largely a scandal sheet. He succeeded in having enacted a first offenders' probation bill in 1894. He was charged with conspiracy in 1895 in relation to the George Dean case, but managed to evade conviction. By the mid-1890s he was said to be one of the biggest betters on Sydney horse racing and lived in hotels near Randwick Racecourse.[2]

Nevertheless, as a master parliamentary tactician, he had become a leading member of the Protectionist Party and having helped defeat the Free Trade government in 1899, was rewarded with the position of Postmaster-General in the Lyne government from 14 September 1899, a position he held until 28 February 1901.[3]

Crick was Secretary for Lands from April 1901 to June 1904. He was elected as member for Blayney on the abolition of West Macquarie in 1904. He expected to become Premier when John See resigned and See recommended him for the position but Governor Sir Harry Rawson refused to appoint Crick because of his excessive drinking in Executive Council meetings, and in due course asked Thomas Waddell to be Premier.[5]

From 1905–07, Royal Commissioner William Owen investigated the administration of the Lands Department and found that Crick had overruled departmental advice on 35 occasions when granting leases to pastoralists in the Western Division.[2] Owen found these actions to be corrupt and Crick was charged but not convicted of corruption. He resigned from Parliament in December 1906, but it insisted on formally expelling him. In August 1907 he was struck off as a solicitor.[2] In 1907 he ran unsuccessfully for Surry Hills.[6]

Although he had reportedly been going to quit smoking and drinking in 1903, Crick suffered increasingly from cirrhosis of the liver and died of hematemesis at the Sydney suburb of Randwick. Crick was buried at Waverley Cemetery on 25 August 1908.[7]

References

1. Pearl, Cyril (1958). Wild Men of Sydney. London, UK: W.H. Allen. p. 39. ISBN 0-207-13539-8.
2. Nairn, Bede; Rutledge, Martha. "Crick, William Patrick (1862–1908)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 15 August 2020 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
3. "Mr William Patrick Crick (1862–1908)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
4. Green, Antony. "1890 West Macquarie by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
5. Buck, A R. "Waddell, Thomas (1854?–1940)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 15 August 2020 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
6. Green, Antony. "1907 Surry Hills". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
7. "Mr W P Crick's funeral". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 August 1908. p. 8. Retrieved 15 August 2020 – via Trove.

 

New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Fergus Smith	Member for West Macquarie 1889–1904	Succeeded by Abolished
Preceded by New seat	Member for Blayney 1904–1906	Succeeded by John Withington