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Secession Suggested

It is an historical fact that on 8 April 1933, when the people of Western
Australia were asked whether they were in favour of the State withdrawing
from the Federal Commonwealth, they voted ‘Yes’. When a
government delegation went to Westminster in 1935 the Imperial Parliament
refused to intervene on the issue of secession. However, it is less
well known that Tasmania might have seceded before the Western Australians.
A suggestion to do so occurred within Tasmania’s Legislative
Council.

Thomas Murdoch
(1868-1946)

On 29 November 1928 the Legislative Council came to the brink of resolving
to secede from the Federation. The mover of the motion, Thomas Murdoch
(MLC Buckingham) knew that the Legislative Council could not act alone
and so his motion was, he admitted, only an ‘expression of opinion’.
Nevertheless, he wanted the Upper House to express its disquietwondered whether the resolution had much impact on the
Commonwealth Government, the sentiments documented by it could very well
have been adopted as a mantra by many State Governments. General elections
have even been fought on this very theme. Murdoch’s parliamentary
career continued until 1944 and included serving as President of the
Legislative Council from 1937 until 1944.

Terry Newman

Maintained by Computer and Electronic Services, Parliament of Tasmania. .
Last Update: January 2007