Charles Wade - Political Career

Political Career

In September 1903, he ran successfully for the Legislative Assembly seat of Willoughby, with the support of the Liberal and Reform Association, People's Reform League, New South Wales Alliance for the Suppression of Intemperance, Loyal Orange Institution and Australian Protestant Defence Association. From 1904 to 1917, he represented Gordon. Within a year of his first election he joined the Carruthers ministry as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice. When Carruthers resigned Wade became Premier on 2 October 1907, but still retained his previous portfolios. He was an energetic leader and a large number of acts were passed by his government dealing with among others, industrial disputes, neglected children, minimum wage, employers' liability, the liquor problem, and closer settlement. There was some remission of taxation and each year the treasurer was able to show a surplus. The great Burrinjuck Dam for which the Carruthers government was responsible was started, and special care was taken that the consequent increase in the value of the land should be preserved for the people generally and not merely the landholders. During the 1909-10 coal strike, Wade appeared to favour the mine-owners and lost significant community support.

In spite of his good record Wade was defeated at the general election, and a Labour government came in on 21 October 1910, Wade becoming leader of the opposition. In November 1916, Labor premier William Holman, a supporter of conscription, formed a coalition with Liberal Reform in order to stay in office; the great majority of his party strongly opposed conscription. Wade was prominent in the negotiations for a coalition, but the state of his health did not allow him to seek office. He thus had no role when Liberal Reform merged with Holman's pro-conscription Laborites a few months later to form the New South Wales branch of the Nationalist Party of Australia, though the new party was dominated by Liberal Reformers. He also declined the office of agent-general for New South Wales but went to London on holiday. A few months later, finding his health much improved, he became agent-general. A series of seven lectures on Australia delivered at University College, London, was published in 1919 under the title Australia, Problems and Prospects. In December of that year Wade was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales at Sydney and took up his duties in March 1920.

Wade died after a short illness at his house at the Sydney suburb of Potts Point, New South Wales and was survived by Lady Wade, two sons and two daughters.

His funeral was held at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney on 22 September 1922. He was buried at South Head Cemetery on the same day.