Albert Lane (1873 – 29 December 1950) was an Australian politician. He was a Nationalist Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Balmain from 1922 to 1927 and a United Australia Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1931 to 1940.

Albert Lane
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Barton
In office
19 December 1931 – 21 September 1940
Preceded byJames Tully
Succeeded byH. V. Evatt
Personal details
Born1873
Windsor, New South Wales
Died29 December 1950 (aged 76–77)
NationalityAustralian
Political partyUnited Australia Party
OccupationAccountant

Lane was born in Windsor, New South Wales and moved to Sydney at seventeen, where he became an accountant. He was actively involved in the Methodist church, was a keen temperance campaigner, and helped found and was a long-term council member of the New South Wales Home for Incurables.[1][2][3] The 1916 liquor referendum which introduced six o'clock closing of pubs in New South Wales was reportedly "largely due to his efforts" as a temperance campaigner.[4] In 1917 he contested the federal election as the unsuccessful Nationalist candidate for the safe Labor seat of Dalley.[5]

In 1922 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as one of four members for the seat of Balmain, representing the Nationalist Party of Australia. The seat was abolished in 1927, and Lane contested the new single-member seat of Leichhardt, but was defeated.[6][7]

Lane contested the 1931 federal election as the United Australia Party candidate for Barton, creating history by defeating both the incumbent member for Barton, James Tully, and the member for Martin, John Eldridge, who, as a member of the Lang Labor breakaway party, was attempting to transfer to Barton. Lane held the seat until 1940, when he was defeated by future Labor leader H. V. Evatt.[8]

In December 1941, he was hit by a motorist in Double Bay and broke both his legs.[9] Lane died at his home at Bexley in December 1950 and was cremated at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ "Albert Lane". The Methodist. New South Wales, Australia. 27 January 1951. p. 10. Retrieved 7 March 2020 – via Trove.
  2. ^ "DEATH OF MR. ALBERT LANE". The Propeller. New South Wales, Australia. 4 January 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 7 March 2020 – via Trove.
  3. ^ "PERSONAL". The Wingham Chronicle And Manning River Observer. New South Wales, Australia. 21 April 1922. p. 4. Retrieved 7 March 2020 – via Trove.
  4. ^ "DEATH OF MR. ALBERT LANE". The Propeller. New South Wales, Australia. 4 January 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 7 March 2020 – via Trove.
  5. ^ "THE CAMPAIGN". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 4 March 1922. p. 14. Retrieved 7 March 2020 – via Trove.
  6. ^ "Mr Albert Lane (1873-1950)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Labor's New Blood In New South Wales". Daily Standard. Queensland, Australia. 22 October 1927. p. 6. Retrieved 7 March 2020 – via Trove.
  8. ^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  9. ^ "FRACTURES LEGS". Army News. Northern Territory, Australia. 14 December 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 7 March 2020 – via Trove.
  10. ^ "DEATH OF MR. ALBERT LANE, EX-M.P." Cootamundra Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 8 January 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 7 March 2020 – via Trove.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Balmain
1922–1927
Served alongside: Keegan, Quirk, Stopford/Evatt, Stuart-Robertson
Succeeded by
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Barton
1931 – 1940
Succeeded by