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IFHAA Biographies Library
George
Wilson Hall
Journalist,
Politician, Unionist - G.W. Hall was one of the founders of Trades
Hall in Melbourne, the forerunner of the ACTU.
HALL, GEORGE WILSON (1836-1916), Trade
Unionist, journalist & politician, was born at Brighton,
England, where his father was an agent for the British &
Foreign Bible Society. He arrived in Melbourne in 1853 and later
became a compositor. In 1873 he was Secretary of the Melbourne
Typographical Society and editor of its 'Australasian
Typographical Journal'. Unable to win worthwhile support and
continually involved in petty disputes with employers, the
society tried to improve its bargaining power through collective
action with other workers. In July 1874 Hall called an inaugural
meeting of the Trades & Labor Council. Though it failed to
win major objectives and by 1875 was almost defunct, Hall as its
secretary gained some prominence in October by organising a
public meeting to protest against the jailing of two tanners at
Castlemaine. he also seconded a motion by Thomas Bent (q.v.)
which called for a system of arbitration. the government seemed
prepared to discuss proposals for courts of conciliation but
nothing was achieved.
In 1878 Hall left his union post to become editor-proprietor of
the 'Mansfield Guardian'. A few months later when the Kelly (q.v.)
gang shot three police from Mansfield, Hall published a pamphlet,
'The Kelly Gang or the Outlaws of the Wombat Ranges' (Mansfield,
1879). Next year he moved to Benalla and covered the capture of
the Kellys at Glenrowan for the Melbourne Argus and his own
Benalla Standard. Police handling of the Kellys led Hall to
agitate for an inquiry into the police force which in 1881 was
setup with Hall as a commissioner.
Hall was elected for the Moira seat in the Legislative Assembly
in July 1880. He had long been concerned at the prevalence of
sweating in the printing industry & gave influential support
to the printers' public campaign for factory reform. In May 1883,
at the request of W.C. Smith (q.v.), Hall joined the enlarged
Royal Commission on shop employees and with officials of the
Typographical Society lobbied for new legislation. Although
active in parliament Hall held no portfolio but was a whip for
the Service-Berry, Munro & Sheils ministries. He was also a
staunch advocate for temperance.
From about 1886 Hall was a leader of the country section of the
Liberal-protectionists in the Deakin-Gillies coalition. In 1887-88
Hall held that more was to be gained by staying with the
government than by opposition but at the 1889 election he
announced his breakaway and, backed by the Victorian Farmers
Protection Association, won the new seat of Shepparton and Euroa.
Although he did not always maintain an independent position he
was prominent in extracting budgetary concessions from the
government in 1889 on behalf of farmers. He lost his seat in 1891
& went on an official lecture-tour of England to attract
migrants to Victoria. After attempting in vain to re-enter
parliament in 1894 and 1897 he retired from public life. He was
married first to Marian Burton, second to Mary Juliet Worthington
and third to Mary Hughes. he died in Melbourne on 21 September
1916 aged 80, survived by his widow and by three sons of the
first marriage; two children of the second marriage pre-deceased
him.
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