Edward William O'Sullivan

Edward William O'Sullivan (17 March 1846 – 25 April 1910) was an Australian journalist and politician.

As a politician, O'Sullivan had strong Labour sympathies before the Labor Party had developed in New South Wales, and worked untiringly for old-age pensions until they became law in 1900. He was much criticized for his supposed extravagance as Minister for Public Works; at the time it seemed with reason, as the state was suffering from drought for part of the period. Possibly, however, he was wise in realizing the necessity of keeping people at work in times of depression. He was certainly right in his efforts to provide Sydney with a proper supply of water, and his efforts to relieve unemployment by developing the tramway and railway systems, showed him as a man of great foresight and courage.

O'Sullivan was born in Launceston, Tasmania. His father deserted the family when he was a child and he was mainly educated by his mother. He began work at an early age as a printer's devil on the Hobart Mercury. Later he became a reporter; in 1869 he went to Sydney, but soon returned to Hobart and started a paper, the Tribune. This had some success but O'Sullivan sold it in 1873, went to Melbourne, and did journalistic work. He was editor of the St Arnaud Mercury for about three years. In 1878, he moved to Melbourne, married Agnes Ann Firman and started working a The Argus. In 1882, he went to Sydney and for about a year was overseer in the Daily Telegraph office.

O'Sullivan took a prominent part in union circles and became president of the New South Wales Typographical Association and became President of the Trades and Labor Council for six months from March 1883. In 1884, he founded a working man's party the Democratic Alliance and its newspaper the Democrat, but both failed.

In 1909 he became the third President of the New South Wales Rugby League in the year after incumbent secretary and founding father of the game Henry Hoyle resigned. Hoyle was replaced by ECV Broughton, however he stood down after just less than a month due to poor health. O'Sullivan resigned as a matter of principle, upon learning that a secret faction within the NSWRL had been plotting to pay the amateur Rugby Union Wallabies players to play games against the Australian national rugby league team, the Kangaroos.

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