William Lambert (Australian politician)

William Henry Lambert (24 March 1881 – 6 September 1928) was an Australian politician and unionist, serving for one term as Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1921.

William Lambert
52nd Lord Mayor of Sydney
In office 1921–1921
Preceded by	William Patrick Fitzgerald
Succeeded by	William Percy McElhone
Member of the Australian Parliament for West Sydney
In office 3 September 1921 – 6 September 1928
Preceded by	T. J. Ryan
Succeeded by	Jack Beasley
Personal details
Born	24 March 1881 Swallow Creek, Australia
Died	6 September 1928 (aged 47) Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party

Early life

Lambert was born at Swallow Creek, near Orange, on 24 March 1881 to Irish-born stonemason James Lambert and Elizabeth, née O'Brien. He received a primary education and subsequently worked as a shearer. He soon became involved with the Australian Workers' Union. On 9 October 1909 he married waitress Bertha Anne McConnell at Dubbo, Dubbo. In 1915 he became secretary of the AWU's central branch.

Lord Mayor

Lambert was active in the anti-conscription movement during World War I. He was elected to Sydney Municipal Council in December 1918 and was Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1921. He used his casting vote to support Labor policy, and was noted for preferring the Australian flag to the Union Jack.

Federal politics

Lambert was elected to the Australian House of Representatives for the seat of West Sydney in the 1921 by-election following the death of T. J. Ryan, representing the Australian Labor Party. He kept a fairly low profile in Parliament, but became intimately involved in faction politics. His political fortunes declined after Jack Lang became leader of the New South Wales Labor Party. As such, he lost pre-selection for West Sydney in 1928.

Lambert told the Daily Telegraph Pictorial that he had been offered £8000 pounds in 1925 to resign his seat in favour of Ted Theodore. Lambert had denied this when it appeared in the Evening News in 1925, but the Bruce government nevertheless appointed a royal commissioner, who discounted Lambert's testimony but found that William Mahony had been compensated in such a way.

Lambert died on 6 September 1928 of heart disease.

References

• Spearritt, Peter (1983). "Lambert, William Henry (1881–1928)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 28 March 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.