Sir Ross McLarty | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 17th Premier of Western Australia | |
| In office 1 April 1947 – 23 February 1953 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Governor | |
| Deputy | Arthur Watts |
| Preceded by | Frank Wise |
| Succeeded by | Albert Hawke |
| Member of theWestern Australian Parliament forMurray-Wellington | |
| In office 12 April 1930 – 31 March 1962 | |
| Preceded by | William George |
| Succeeded by | Ewart Runciman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1891-03-17)17 March 1891 Pinjarra, Western Australia |
| Died | 22 December 1962(1962-12-22) (aged 71) Pinjarra, Western Australia |
| Political party |
|
| Spouse | Violet Olive Margaret Herron |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service |
|
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Military Medal |
Sir Duncan Ross McLarty,KBE, MM (17 March 1891 – 22 December 1962) was an Australian politician and the 17thPremier of Western Australia.
McLarty was born inPinjarra, Western Australia, the youngest of seven children ofEdward McLarty, a farmer and grazier and member of theWestern Australian Legislative Council, and his wife Mary Jane, née Campbell. He attended Pinjarra State School and thePerth Boys' High School.
On 12 January 1916 he enlisted in theAustralian Imperial Force at theBlackboy Hill depot. On 27 March he was promoted to corporal and assigned to the44th Battalion, arriving in England on 21 July. The 44th Battalion departed England for theWestern Front on 25 November 1916. McLarty was promoted tosergeant on 29 March 1917. In June 1918, McLarty was awarded theMilitary Medal for "bravery in the field" on 25 January 1918 atPasschendaele.[1][2][3]
McLarty was commissioned on 1 May 1918 as a second lieutenant and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 August. This was the rank he held until being discharged. On 28 August 1918, during theSecond Battle of the Somme, McLarty was wounded in the left hand.[1] While convalescing in London he had a chance meeting with his brother Douglas who was serving with the 16th Battalion.[2]: p158
After the war, McLarty returned to farming at Pinjarra and married Violet Olive Margaret Herron on 25 October 1922. He served as ajustice of the peace from 1925 and belonged to theReturned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia.
He campaigned in the1930 state election as aNationalist candidate with the slogan 'A practical farmer for a farming electorate', winning thelower house seat ofMurray-Wellington. At the1933 election, the Nationalists were defeated by theLabor Party underPhilip Collier, beginning a 14-year period in opposition for the conservative parties. On 14 December 1946, McLarty succeeded the retiredRobert Ross McDonald as leader of the newly formedLiberal Party, which had amalgamated with the Nationalists.
The1947 election saw the Liberal-Country coalition unexpectedly defeat theLabor government of premierFrank Wise who had held the position for only two years. For the first time since 1933, the Liberal (formerly Nationalist) group in Parliament was larger than the Country Party's and, under the negotiated coalition agreement, McLarty became premier and the Country Party'sArthur Watts became his deputy.
Together with the premiership, he held the Treasury, Housing, Forests and North-West portfolios. His administration coincided with rapid post-war expansion of the Western Australian economy and, in 1950, conducted negotiations withBP to develop theKwinana Oil Refinery whose surrounding area subsequently developed into the state's mainindustrial district. His government acceptedfederal funding to establish the State Housing Commission. His premiership was, however, marred by discord between the two coalition parties. He wasknighted in January 1953 and lost office at the election next month, continuing as opposition leader for another four years until March 1957.
Throughout his parliamentary career, McLarty travelled home to Pinjarra for most weekends. He was chairman of the Murray District Hospital Board and held a number of pastoral investments, including a controlling interest inLiveringa station, nearDerby. He resigned from parliament because of poor health in May 1962 and died in December. McLarty was accorded astate funeral and is buried in the Pinjarra cemetery.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Premier of Western Australia 1947–1953 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Western Australia | ||
| Preceded by | Member forMurray-Wellington 1930–1962 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of theLiberal Party (WA division) 1946–1957 | Succeeded by |
 | ||
