Herb Graham
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =The Honourable
|name = Herb Graham
|honorific-suffix = OMRI
|image =
|imagesize =
|smallimage =
|alt =
|caption =
|office = Deputy Premier of Western Australia
|term_start = 3 March 1971
|term_end = 30 May 1973
| constituency_MP2 = Balcatta
| parliament2 = Western Australian
| majority2 =
| predecessor2 = New creation
| successor2 = Brian Burke
| term_start2 = 31 March 1962
| term_end2 = 30 May 1973
| constituency_MP3 = East Perth
| parliament3 = Western Australian
| majority3 =
| predecessor3 = Thomas Hughes
| successor3 = Seat abolished
| term_start3 = 14 August 1943
| term_end3 = 31 March 1962
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1911|4|6|df=y}}
|birth_place = Narrogin, Western Australia
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1982|03|17|1911|4|6|df=y}}
|death_place = Stirling, Western Australia
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates =
|birthname = Herbert Ernst Graham
|nationality = Australian
|party = Labor Party
|otherparty =
|spouse = {{plainlist|
- {{Marriage|Norma Eileen Wilson|1936|1951}}
- {{Marriage|Beryl Grace Kirkby|1952|1982}}
}}
|relations = Larry Graham (nephew)
|children =
|residence =
|profession = Draftsman
|portfolio =
|religion =
|}}
Herbert Ernst Graham (6 April 1911 – 17 March 1982) was an Australian politician.
Biography
Graham was born in Narrogin, Western Australia on 6 April 1911 to parents from South Australia. Graham attended school in Narrogin and Northam.{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |id=A170452b|title=Graham, Herbert Ernst (1911–1982)|accessdate=9 June 2010}}
His father, farmer William Graham, was a candidate for the Western Australian Legislative Council in the 1912 Legislative Council election. He later unsuccessfully stood for the Australian Senate in 1919, finishing with only 2% of the Western Australian vote.{{Cite web|url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/candidates/g.txt|title=INDEX OF CANDIDATES FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE 1901-2002|work=Adam Carr's Election Archive|publisher=Adam Carr|accessdate=9 June 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1919/1919senatewa.txt|title=SENATE 1919|work=Adam Carr's Election Archive|publisher=Adam Carr|accessdate=9 June 2010}}
His nephew, Larry Graham later represented the Labor Party in the Western Australian Parliament from 1989.{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament%5CMemblist.nsf/(MemberPics)/2A3C04E809F24E3E482565D20013E75C/$file/maidengraham.pdf|title=Thursday, 13 April 1989|work=Hansard|publisher=Parliament of Western Australia|accessdate=9 June 2010|archive-date=19 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719100201/http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/Memblist.nsf/(MemberPics)/2A3C04E809F24E3E482565D20013E75C/$file/maidengraham.pdf|url-status=dead}}
Working life
Public life
=Early politics=
After joining the Australian Labor Party in 1929 he soon became heavily involved in politics. By 1933 he was a member of the ALP state executive. In 1934 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the House of Representatives seat of Perth. In 1940 he was a candidate for the Senate though he only garnered 2% of the Western Australian vote, the same percentage as his father in 1919.{{Cite web|url=http://john.curtin.edu.au/education/tlf/R3281/00187005_image/index.html|title=Australian Labor Party pamphlet for the 1940 federal elections|work=Australian Labor Party|publisher=John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library|accessdate=17 June 2010|archive-date=4 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004193545/http://john.curtin.edu.au/education/tlf/R3281/00187005_image/index.html|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1940/1940senatewa.txt|title=1940 SENATE – WESTERN AUSTRALIA|work=Adam Carr's Election Archive|publisher=Adam Carr|accessdate=9 June 2010}}
=Entry to Parliament=
In 1943 Graham was elected to the seat of East Perth in a by-election caused by the resignation of Tom Hughes.{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/intranet/libpages.nsf/WebFiles/FACTSHEETS+SN+12+Byelections/$FILE/SN+12+Byelections.doc+Feb+2010+_vA241726_.pdf|title=By-elections in Western Australia|work=Parliamentary Library Western Australia|publisher=Parliament of Western Australia|accessdate=11 June 2010}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
With the election of the Hawke Labor government in 1953 Graham became a Cabinet minister with responsibilities for the portfolios of housing and forests. As housing minister Graham was responsible for an increase in the number of state-owned residential properties. An apartment complex, Graham Flats in West Perth, built while he was housing minister, was named in his honour. In 1957 Graham took on responsibility for transport, presiding over the implementation of an integrated bus system.{{Cite web|url=http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/G%20-%20A-D/Graham%20Flats%20(I-AD).PDF|title=Assessment Documentation – Graham Flats|work=Register of Heritage Places|publisher=Heritage Council of Western Australia|accessdate=9 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090919133513/http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/G%20-%20A-D/Graham%20Flats%20(I-AD).PDF|archive-date=19 September 2009|url-status=dead}}
Between 1959 and 1971 Graham served the ALP in opposition, rising to deputy opposition leader in 1966. When the Tonkin government took power in 1971 Graham became Deputy Premier. He took on responsibility for town planning between 1971 and 1973.{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/intranet/libpages.nsf/WebFiles/Publications+-+Deputy+Premiers/$FILE/Deputy+Premiers.pdf|title=Deputy Premiers of Western Australia|work=Parliamentary Library Western Australia|publisher=Parliament of Western Australia|accessdate=9 June 2010}}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
In 1973 after a series of disagreements with Tonkin, Graham resigned from Parliament. In the by-election that followed, Brian Burke was elected by thirty votes.
=Civic life=
After leaving Parliament Graham was appointed chairman of the state Licensing Court.
A fluent Italian-speaker, Graham was involved in the Western Australia Italian Club, becoming a life member of the club. He was honoured by the Italian government with an Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
He was a patron of the East Perth Football Club and was a life member.{{Cite web|url=http://www.eastperthfc.com.au/history/82-epfc-life-members|title=EPFC Life Members|publisher=East Perth Football Club|accessdate=17 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218173924/http://www.eastperthfc.com.au/history/82-epfc-life-members|archive-date=18 February 2011|url-status=dead}}
Death
Graham died on 17 March 1982 in Stirling, Western Australia.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Labor Party (WA)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Herb}}
Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Category:Deputy premiers of Western Australia
Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Category:People from Narrogin, Western Australia
Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia