George Prendergast
| George Michael Prendergast | |
|---|---|
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| 28th Premier of Victoria | |
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In office 18 July 1924 – 18 November 1924 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Peacock |
| Succeeded by | John Allan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 May 1854 Adelaide, South Australia |
| Died | 28 August 1937 (aged 83) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Eliza Larrad |
| Cabinet | Prendergast Ministry |
| Nickname(s) | Mick Prendergast |
George Michael "Mick" Prendergast (20 May 1854 – 28 August 1937), Australian politician, was the 28th Premier of Victoria. He was born to Irish emigrant parents in Adelaide, but he grew up in Stawell, Wimmera, Victoria. He was apprenticed as a printer, and worked as a compositor in Ballarat, Sydney and Narrandera before settling in Melbourne in 1887. A member of the Typographical Association, he represented that union at the Melbourne Trades Hall, of which he was President in 1893.
Prendergast was one of the first Labor members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, being elected for North Melbourne in 1894. In September 1897, Prendergast was arrested and charged with obstructing a footpath on Bourke Street, Melbourne, after he refused to move when instructed to by a police officer—the case was dismissed by the court. At the 1897 election, Prendergast was defeated by William Watt (another future Premier), but regained the seat in 1900, and held it until it was abolished in 1927. He then shifted to the electorate of Footscray, which he represented until his death. In all he was an MP for 40 years, but was noted more for his fiery stump oratory than any real ability: the historian Kate White calls him "mediocre."
In 1904 Prendergast became the first leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party. He resigned this position through ill-health in 1913, allowing George Elmslie to become the first Labor Premier, and was Chief Secretary in Elmslie's 14-day government. He returned to the Labor leadership in 1918. He was the President of the North Melbourne Football Club for some time.
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