Thomas Bath

Thomas Henry Bath, CBE (21 February 1875 – 6 November 1956) was an Australian politician, trade unionist, newspaper editor, writer, and cooperativist. A member of the Labor Party, he served as a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly between 1902 and 1914 for the constituencies of Hannans, Brown Hill and Avon, and was also Minister for Education for a period of 79 days in 1905, and Leader of the Opposition between 1906 and 1910. In later life, Bath was involved in the establishment of the University of Western Australia, and also initiated several agricultural cooperatives.

The Honourable Thomas Bath CBE
Leader of the Opposition of Western Australia
In office 27 October 1906 – 3 August 1910
Premier	Newton Moore
Preceded by	William Johnson
Succeeded by	John Scaddan
Minister for Education of Western Australia
In office 7 June 1905 – 25 August 1905
Premier	Henry Daglish
Preceded by	Henry Daglish
Succeeded by	Walter Kingsmill
Member of the Western Australian Parliament for Hannans
In office 1902–1904
Preceded by	John Reside
Succeeded by	Wallace Nelson
Member of the Western Australian Parliament for Brown Hill
In office 1904–1911
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of the Western Australian Parliament for Avon
In office 1911–1914
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Tom Harrison
Personal details
Born	(1875-02-21)21 February 1875 Hill End, New South Wales
Died	6 November 1956(1956-11-06) (aged 81) Mount Lawley, Western Australia, Australia
Political party	Labor Party

Early life

Bath was born to Thomas Henry Richard Bath, a miner, and his wife Sarah Ann Bath (née Barrow), on 21 February 1875, at Hill End, New South Wales, a mining town in the Blue Mountains. He emigrated to the Western Australian Goldfields in 1896, and found work as a miner. The following year, after a brief sojourn in New South Wales, Bath was involved in founding the Amalgamated Workers' Association. In 1898, he was asked to head the local chapter of the Knights of Labor, a United-States-based labour organisation, which he represented at the 1899 trade union conference, held in Coolgardie. In September 1900, Bath, despite having no formal training in writing, became the first editor of the Westralian Worker, a socialist publication. In July of the following year, Bath gave way to Wallace Nelson.[1]

Political career

After being appointed secretary of the Kalgoorlie and Boulder Trades and Labor Council, Bath was involved in various faction-fighting between trade unions.

Later life

Bath was a leading member of the Freemasons in Western Australia, and was involved in the foundation of Lodge Bonnie Doon, 839, S.C., in 1897, under the Scottish Rite.[2] He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1949, for "long service to the wheatgrowing industry of the state".[3] He died at his home in Mount Lawley on 6 November 1956 from a heart attack resulting from coronary occlusion.

Legacy

Bath Lane, one of the minor roads in the Ballarat CBD, was named after him.

References

1. Gibbney, H. J. Bath, Thomas Henry (1875–1956) – Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
2. Bath is included in a Montage of portraits of Western Australian Freemasons presented to J. M. F. Lapsley, Grand Master of Scottish Freemasonry in Western Australia, 19 Dec. 1911 (picture) – State Library of Western Australia. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
3. Wheat Men Honoured. – The West Australian. Published Wednesday, 20 July 1949. Retrieved from Trove, 28 January 2012.

Political offices
Preceded by Henry Daglish	Minister for Education 1905	Succeeded by Walter Kingsmill
Preceded by William Johnson	Leader of the Opposition 1906–1910	Succeeded by John Scaddan
Party political offices
Preceded by William Johnson	Leader of the Labor Party in Western Australia 1906–1910	Succeeded by John Scaddan
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by John Reside	Member of Parliament for Hannans 1902–1904	Succeeded by Wallace Nelson
Constituency established	Member of Parliament for Brown Hill 1904–1911	Constituency abolished
Constituency established	Member of Parliament for Avon 1911–1914	Succeeded by Tom Harrison