Maitland’s federation connections

Let’s go back 120 years to Australia's first election after Federation. The election was held over two days on 29-30 March 1901. Colonel Alexander Wilkinson, the Mayor of West Maitland, declared that Edmund Barton was elected the first member for Hunter. Barton was also Australia’s first Prime Minister.

Edmund Barton

Edmund Barton received his commission as Prime Minister from the Governor-General, Lord Louis Hopetoun, on Christmas eve 1900. His predecessor, William Lyne had returned his commission as he had not been able to form a government.

RIght: Edmund Barton (Wikipedia)

Barton remained the member for Hunter for the entirety of his incumbency as Prime Minister. He resigned from both positions in 1903 in order to serve under another of Maitland's sons, Sir Samuel Walker Griffith, on the newly created High Court.

Barton's story, of course, predates Federation but not the Federation story. In 1891 he had inherited from Sir Henry Parkes the mantle to lead the movement. That same year the most important of the Federation Conferences was convened in Sydney with Barton and Griffith playing prominent roles. Both were members of the drafting Committee of the Constitution, Griffith as chair.

In 1900 Barton was part of the colonial delegation that 'squired' the Commonwealth of Australia Bill through the English House of Commons.

In 1901, as leader of the Protectionist Party, Barton chose to offer his party's vision for Australia to the new nation from Maitland's Town Hall.  His address was published in full in the Maitland Mercury on 18 January 1901. The list of notables accompanying him on that occasion represented a who's who of the Australian political scene at the time. This was NOT Sydney or Melbourne, but Maitland. Yes, Maitland!

While never a resident of Maitland or the Hunter, Barton chose to become Maitland’s son by accepting the offer of becoming its first Member of Parliament. He is remembered locally by virtue of a street in Eastville named after him.

Samuel Griffith

Welsh-born Samuel Griffith, unlike Barton, lived in Maitland for a time. He attended William McIntyre's school in Free Church Street when his father Edward was the minister at the Congregational Church (today's Repertory Theatre) in High St.

Right: Samuel Griffith (Wikipedia)

Griffith married a local East Maitland girl, Julia Thompson, at St Stephen's Presbyterian Church. Two of his brothers are buried in the Wesleyan cemetery at Oakhampton.

So important was Griffith to the Federation story that Parkes' famous 1889 Tenterfield oration was given during a 'whistle stop' on the return train trip after visiting Griffith in Brisbane. Griffith, at that time, was the Premier of Queensland and the leading advocate of federation. He was the central figure of the movement, and his legal expertise was to be vital in the drafting of the Constitution.

Other than an entry in the Maitland Council's digital 'Hall of Fame', Griffith is not eulogised at all in Maitland. Probably, this should be rectified by naming a landmark after him.

Maitland's role in the history of Australia’s Federation is unique. Maitland and the Hunter were represented by our first Prime Minister. Two of the principal authors of the Constitution had direct links to Maitland ─ Barton and Griffith.

References

Joyce, R. B., 'Griffith, Sir Samuel Walker (1845–1920)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, 1979.

Rutledge, Martha, 'Barton, Sir Edmund (Toby) (1849–1920)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, 1979.

Short, Kevin, ‘Our Past: Maitland’s federation connection: links to two of Australia’s greatest figures’, Maitland Mercury, 22 March 2020.