People Australia

Clarence Martin, Fairfax Corporation, 1932

National Library of Australia, 51773340

Clarence Edward Martin (1900-1953) teacher, trade union official and parliamentarian

Birth: 9 February 1900 at Ballarat, Victoria, son of native-born parents Edward Henry Martin (1869-1962), a bootmaker, and Catherine Josephine, née Burke, later Mulvenney (1870-1919). Marriage: 22 December 1933 at Moore Theological College chapel, Newtown, Sydney, New South Wales, to Sydney-born Janet Doreen Wrightson (1907-1985) a nurse at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. They had one son. Death: 5 September at 1953, Centennial Park. Religion: buried with Anglican funeral. 

• After his mother divorced his father for desertion and remarried, Clarry moved with her and his step-father Bartholomew Mulvenney or Mulvenny (1878-1915), a dogger, to Broken Hill, NSW, in about 1907.
• He was educated at Broken Hill District School and moved to Sydney to train as a teacher in 1917-1918. Orphaned at the age of 19, he found work in a mine and continued private study.
• On leaving Teachers’ College he was prominent in the ex-students’ association, as a member of the Teachers’ Federation council.
• He was employed as a teacher with the Education Department from 1919 and was an evening student at the University of Sydney (B. Ec. 1923, M. Ec. 1932). Posted to Young in 1923-1926, he was president of the local Teachers’ Federation branch in 1925.
• He was a Workers’ Educational Association district tutor at Newcastle from 1926 to 1930. An associate of the Australian Institute of Secretaries, member Institute council 1927.
• He was elected member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for the seat of Young on 25 October 1930 but was defeated in the following election in May 1932.
• After his defeat he applied unsuccessfully to rejoin the Education Department. Sold insurance; did some coaching; was research officer for 6 months for the Public Service Association; staff training officer Australian Gas Light Co.
• Worked for Labor branch and electorate council offices; he was vice-president of the central executive of the ALP in 1928-1929. Active in socialisation units in 1931-1933.
• A Law student at the University of Sydney in 1933-1936, Martin graduated LLB in 1936 and was called to the Bar that year. He stood as a Heffron supporter for the seat of Waverley in a by-election in April 1939 and was re-elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly, holding the seat till his death.
• He was attorney-general from 1941 to 1953, piloting through parliament the Superannuation Amendment Act of 1948 which improved superannuation for public servants. In 1952 he was appointed QC.
• Minister for Transport, 1953; Minister for Co-operative Societies 1949-1950.
• Served in the Australian Imperial Force for four years. Combined Operational Services Command, New Guinea; rose to the rank of temporary major.
• President Left Book Club; founder and president Fabian Society of NSW; trustee Public Library of NSW, 1948-1953; fellow of Senate, University of Sydney 1941-1953; Young Aust. League; trustee, Sydney Cricket Ground 1952-1953; Author of The Referendum, Initiative and the Recall, 1931.
• Cause of death: haemorrhage from a duodenal ulcer. 

Sources
Heather Radi, Peter Spearritt and Elizabeth Hinton (eds), Biographical Register of the NSW Parliament 1901-1970 (Canberra, 1979); Lyb. 1933 p.173; Education, 15 March 1926 p 149, 18 September 1953.