David Gledson

The Honourable David Gledson
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Ipswich
In office 22 May 1915 – 11 May 1929
Preceded by	James Blair
Succeeded by	James Walker
In office 11 Jun 1932 – 14 May 1949
Preceded by	James Walker
Succeeded by	Ivor Marsden
Personal details
Born	David Alexander Gledson 1877 Saintfield, County Down, Ireland
Died	14 May 1949 (aged 71 or 72) Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Resting place	Ipswich General Cemetery
Nationality	Irish Australian
Political party	ALP
Spouse(s)	Susannah Jane Bird (m.1904 d.1952)
Occupation	Accountant
Religion	Methodist

David Alexander "Dave" Gledson (1877 – 14 May 1949) was an accountant and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.^[1]

Biography

Gledson was born at Saintfield, County Down, Ireland, to William Gledson, a miner, and his wife Mary (née Magill). His family arrived in Queensland in 1885 and he was educated at Bundamba State School and the Ipswich Technical College. Later in life he attended night classes to qualify as an accountant.^[1]

He went to work at the Bundamba coal mines, he was inspired by the union ideals of Gilbert Casey. Dismissed and blacklisted he next worked at the Tivoli pits.^[1] After a strike in 1905, he helped to found the Queensland Colliery Employees' Union. In 1908 he was employed full-time by the union as its secretary. His time as secretary saw a period of expansion and consolidation and in 1910 he became a district check-inspector on a programme to improve conditions in Queensland mines. Gledson represented Queensland at the 1915 meeting in Sydney which brought the Australasian Coal and Shale Employees' Federation into being.^[2]

On the 24th February 1904 he married Susannah Jane Bird (died 1952)^[3] at Bundamba and they had one son and two daughters. Gledson died in May 1949 after suffering a stroke. He was accorded a state funeral^[4] which proceeded from the Bundamba Methodist Church to the Ipswich General Cemetery.^[5]

Public career

After being beaten James Clarke Cribb by 21 votes at the 1908 Queensland state election^[6] and 233 votes a year later^[7] for the seat of Bundamba, Gledson turned to the seat of Ipswich at the 1915 Queensland state election. His win over the sitting member, James Blair was one of the highlights for the Labor Party as it won Government in its own right for the first time.^[8] He held Ipswich until Labor's defeat in 1929, but won the seat back as Labor was returned to power in 1932. This time he remained the member up until his death in 1949.^[1]

He held several offices while Labor was in power:

• Member of the Executive Council - 1939
• Assistant Secretary for Agriculture and Stock - 1939
• Minister without Office - 1925-1926
• Secretary for Mines - 1939-1941
• Secretary for Labour and Industry - 1926-1929
• Attorney-General - 1941-1949

In 1922, defections from the Labor Party and the refusal of the opposition to grant a pair to any absent Government members left it in a precarious position and forced the Queensland Premier, Ted Theodore, to have Gledson bought in to parliament on a stretcher, due to his having severe influenza. This enabled the speaker to have the casting vote, and Theodore had the numbers to grant an adjournment.^[1]

In 1948 there was serious industrial unrest due to the 1948 Queensland railway strike. Charges were laid against the ringleaders and three of the men arrested (E. C. Englart, Max Julius and M. Healy) refused to pay the fines they were given and elected to serve the three-month jail sentences in default. A mysterious envelope addressed to 'Dave Gledson, Attorney-General' arrived at the counter of the treasury building ad when opened, contained 350 pounds in 10 pound notes. The covering letter said that the payment was for 'Maxy, Teddy and Mick' and implored Gledson to 'let these men go back to their wives and families. This money will not do the government any good, anyway'. The three men were released immediately and an investigation failed to reveal the identity of the benefactor who paid the fines.^[1][9][10]

References

1. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
2. Gledson, David Alexander (1877–1949) — Australian Dictionary of Biography Retrieved 3 April 2016.
3. Family history research — Queensland Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
4. "Family Notices". Queensland Times (19,460). Queensland, Australia. 16 May 1949. p. 6 (DAILY). Retrieved 3 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
5. Methodist Uniting B New Section — Australian Cemeteries. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
6. "SYNOPSIS OF THE POLLING.". The Brisbane Courier. LXIV, (15,623). Queensland, Australia. 7 February 1908. p. 5. Retrieved 3 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "RESULTS AND COMPARISONS.". The Brisbane Courier. LXVI, (16,140). Queensland, Australia. 4 October 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 3 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "SUMMARY OF THE VOTING.". The Brisbane Courier (18,772). Queensland, Australia. 18 March 1918. p. 7. Retrieved 3 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "Fast Communist Reaction To Arrests Over Unpaid Railway Strike Fines". Daily Mercury. 82, (186). Queensland, Australia. 5 August 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 6 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
10. "The great "who-dun-it" mystery". The Courier-mail (3663). Queensland, Australia. 21 August 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 6 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.