Richard Sleath

Richard 'Dick' Sleath (3 October 1863 – 10 October 1922) was an Australian politician.

Richard 'Dick' Sleath
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Wilcannia
In office 17 July 1894 – 16 July 1904
Preceded by	Edward Dickens
Succeeded by	Seat Abolished
Personal details
Born	Richard Sleath (1863-10-03)3 October 1863 Cerres, Fifeshire
Died	10 October 1922(1922-10-10) (aged 59) Sydney
Political party	Labor Party
Other political affiliations	Nationalist Party of Australia
Occupation	Miner, bushworker, quarryman

Born in Cerres, Fifeshire to ploughman Richard Sleath and Mary Fernie, he migrated to Queensland in 1877, becoming a shearer and prospector. In 1882 he moved to Sydney, working as a contractor before mining at Broken Hill from 1887. On 11 March 1887, he married Jane Dawson with whom he had four sons. He helped found the first Socialist League at Broken Hill and was a member of the central executive of the Labor Party in 1898. In 1894 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Labour member for Wilcannia. He lost his Labour endorsement in 1901 but was re-elected as an Independent Labor candidate, losing his seat in 1904. In 1917 Sleath, a supporter of conscription, joined the Nationalist Party. He died in Sydney in 1922.[1][2]

References

1. "Mr Richard Sleath (1863–1922)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
2. Kennedy, B E. "Sleath, Richard (1863–1922)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 2 April 2020 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.

 

New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Edward Dickens	Member for Wilcannia 1894 – 1904	District Abolished