Eric Sydney Spooner (2 March 1891 – 3 June 1952) was an Australian politician.

Eric Spooner
Secretary for Public Works
In office
22 August 1935 – 21 July 1939
PremierBertram Stevens
Preceded byBertram Stevens
Succeeded byBertram Stevens
Minister for Local Government
In office
15 February 1933 – 21 July 1939
PremierBertram Stevens
Preceded byJoseph Jackson
Succeeded byBertram Stevens
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Ryde
In office
11 June 1932 – 23 August 1940
Preceded byEvan Davies
Succeeded byArthur Williams
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Robertson
In office
21 September 1940 – 21 August 1943
Preceded bySydney Gardner
Succeeded byThomas Williams
Personal details
Born(1891-03-01)1 March 1891
Waterloo, Colony of New South Wales
Died3 June 1952(1952-06-03) (aged 61)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyUnited Australia Party
SpouseMary Berry
RelationsBill Spooner (Brother)
OccupationAccountant

Early life

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Spooner was born in the Sydney suburb of Waterloo and educated at Christ Church St Laurence School. At 14 he became a telegraph messenger and studied at night at the University of Sydney to gain a diploma in economics and commerce. He married Mary Berry in December 1919. He established the accounting firm of Hungerford, Spooner & Co in 1922 with his brother Bill, a Liberal cabinet minister from 1949 to 1964.[1][2]

State politics

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Spooner was elected the seat of Ryde in 1932 and became an honorary minister in the United Australia Party government of Bertram Stevens. He subsequently became Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Local Government. From 1935 he was Minister for Local Government, Secretary for Public Works and deputy leader of the United Australia Party (NSW Branch).[3][4] He was responsible for establishing employment-creating schemes and the Sydney County Council, a gas and electricity supplier. In 1939 he opposed budget cuts and resigned from Cabinet on 21 July. On 1 August, he moved a moved a motion that was critical of the proposal to cut government spending in order to restrain a growing deficit, with Spooner personally attacking Stevens, describing him as running the party as a dictatorship.[5] The coalition had a large majority in the assembly, however the motion was passed 43 to 41, with nine United Australia members joining Spooner in voting against the government.[1] Spooner's ambitions to replace Stevens as leader were thwarted as the Leader of the Country Party, Michael Bruxner, refused to join a coalition with him and Alexander Mair succeeded Stevens as Premier.[1][6][7]

Spooner bathing costume

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As the NSW Minister for Local Government, Spooner introduced an ordinance, commencing on 1 September 1935, regulating the design of swimsuits, principally aimed at males who were wearing swim trunks which left their chests bare.[8] The lowering of the upper part of a costume to show a bared chest was considered by some people, including the Bega branch of the Country Women's Association, as "disgraceful, and [meriting] rigorous attention".[9] A clergyman maintained that "if men were allowed to wear shorts, girls would want shorts and brassieres and that would lead to a steady increase of undesirable conduct on our beaches".[10]

Protests were received from the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia,[9] and the ordinance was derided as inappropriate for competitive swimming.[11] The prohibitive purchase cost of the required swimming costume was also mentioned. Spooner noted the change legalised costumes currently in use and removed the older "neck to knee" costumes ordinance, dating from 1910.[8]

The State of Victoria followed Spooner's regulation.[12] The law was still in effect in NSW in 1950.[10]

Federal politics and later life

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In August 1940 Spooner resigned his seat and won the Federal seat of Robertson in the October election. In June 1941, he was appointed Minister for War Organisation of Industry in the third Menzies Ministry, a position he retained until the fall of the Fadden government in October 1941. He lost his seat in the 1943 election. He joined the new Liberal Party, but was almost expelled for questioning the White Australia Policy. He ran unsuccessfully against Prime Minister Ben Chifley in Macquarie in 1946.[1]

Spooner died of cancer in Sydney in 1952, survived by his wife, three sons and daughter.[1]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e Lloyd, C. J. (2002). "Spooner, Eric Sydney (1891–1952)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  2. ^ "The Hon. Eric Sydney Spooner (1891–1952)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Deputy leader". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 20 November 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 8 August 2018 – via Trove.
  4. ^ "Mr. Spooner". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 November 1935. p. 15. Retrieved 8 August 2018 – via Trove.
  5. ^ "State finances: motion of urgency" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). New South Wales: Legislative Assembly. 1 August 1939. pp. 5604–5647. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Mr. A. Mair new Premier". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 August 1939. p. 11. Retrieved 8 August 2018 – via Trove.
  7. ^ "Mr. Spooner's address". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 August 1939. p. 12. Retrieved 8 August 2018 – via Trove.
  8. ^ a b "Beach dress". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 November 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 1 March 2020 – via Trove.
  9. ^ a b "The Spooner Costume". Nambucca and Bellinger News. 27 November 1936. p. 3. Retrieved 1 March 2020 – via Trove.
  10. ^ a b "Wear modern swimsuits at your peril!". The Sunday Herald. 27 August 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 1 March 2020 – via Trove.
  11. ^ "Spooner costume setback". The Labor Daily. 18 November 1936. p. 5. Retrieved 1 March 2020 – via Trove.
  12. ^ "Victoria follows". The Daily Telegraph. 21 May 1935. p. 9. Retrieved 1 March 2020 – via Trove.

 

Parliament of New South Wales
Political offices
Vacant
Title last held by
Bertram Stevens
Assistant Treasurer
1933 – 1935
Vacant
Title next held by
Clive Evatt
Preceded by Minister for Local Government
1933 – 1939
Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary for Public Works
1935 – 1939
Party political offices
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the United Australia Party (NSW Branch)
1935 – 1939
Succeeded by
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Ryde
1932–1940
Succeeded by
Parliament of Australia
Political offices
New title Minister for War Organisation of Industry
1941
Succeeded by
Australian House of Representatives
Preceded by Member for Robertson
1940–1943
Succeeded by