John McPherson
| John McPherson | |
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| 1st United Labor Party leader Elections: 1893, 1896 |
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In office 1892–1897 |
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| Succeeded by | Lee Batchelor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 January 1860 |
| Died | 13 December 1897 |
| Political party | United Labor Party |
John Abel McPherson (28 January 1860 – 13 December 1897) was the first leader of the South Australian United Labor Party from 1892 to 1897. So successful, less than a decade later at the 1905 election, Thomas Price would form the world's first stable Labor government. John Verran led Labor to form the state's first of many majority governments at the 1910 election.
McPherson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and migrated with his wife to Adelaide in 1882, joining the South Australian Typographical Society and working as a printer.
McPherson played a big part in the building and management of the South Australian Trades Hall, home of the United Trades and Labor Council (UTLC) of which he became an honorary secretary in 1890. A pioneer in the Australian labour movement, he was an effective conciliator in disputes between employers and butchers, drivers, tanners and carriers, and maritime workers over shorter hours and wage regulation.
A UTLC meeting with the purpose of creating an elections committee was convened on 12 December 1890, and held on 7 January 1891. The elections committee was formed, officially named the United Labor Party of South Australia with McPherson the founding secretary. Later that year, Labor enjoyed immediate success, electing David Charleston, Robert Guthrie and Andrew Kirkpatrick to the South Australian Legislative Council. A week later, Richard Hooper won the 1891 Wallaroo by-election as an Independent Labor member in the South Australian House of Assembly. McPherson won the 1892 East Adelaide by-election on 23 January, becoming the first official Labor member of the House of Assembly at the age of 32. McPherson held the seat of East Adelaide until his death.
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