Arthur Hill Griffith - Political Career

Political Career

Despite residing in Sydney, Griffith was the candidate for the Labour Party for the seat of Waratah at the state election held on 12 July 1894. He was successful with 820 (44.18%) votes and was re-elected at elections in 1895, 1898 and 1901.

In 1903 he resigned his seat to contest a Senate seat for New South Wales at the 1903 federal election. He was unsuccessful and as the by-election for Waratah was held prior to the Senate election, Griffith was denied the chance to recontest. In the following year, he was successful as the endorsed Labor candidate for the seat of Sturt (based on the mining town of Broken Hill) at the general election of 6 August. Griffith was re-elected unopposed at the 1907 election but resigned from parliament the following year in protest at being suspended by the speaker when he protested the Speaker's alleged procedural unfairness. He won the subsequent by-election unopposed and continued to represent Sturt until the general election of 15 November 1913. A redistribution of state electorates resulted in Griffith stepping aside for John Cann the member for the abolished seat of Broken Hill. He successfully contested the Sydney electorate of Annandale, defeating the sitting member Albert Bruntnell