Hon John Verran

John Verran

09 July 1856

National Party

Former Member

Wallaroo

House of Assembly

22 June 1901

Son of a Cornish miner, John Verran came to South Australia as an infant, growing up in Kapunda and later Moonta. He worked in the Moonta copper mines throughout the 1870's and 1880's, where he developed a strong affinity with the trade union movement. In the mid-1890's he entered politics and, as a member of the Labor Party, was elected to the House of Assembly in 1901. With the death of Labor Premier Tom Price in 1909, and the subsequent collapse of his coalition, Verran became leader of the Labor Party. The following year's election saw Labor elected to government with an outright majority. As a result, Verran was able to put together an all Labor ministry, the first in South Australia. Measures introduced by the Verran government included the Advances for Homes Act, which enabled poorer people to take out housing loans, and the removal of the ban on women becoming lawyers. Much to Verran's frustration, however, his government's legislative program was continually obstructed by a conservative Upper House and after months of deadlock the Premier felt he had no choice but to call an election. After a brief but fierce election campaign in early 1912, Labor was decisively beaten by the newly formed Liberal Union. Verran duly resigned as Labor leader and continued a patchy, sometimes uncertain, career in State and Federal politics. He died in Unley in 1932.

07 June 1932