T.J. Ryan

Book excerpt: It is timely that this new edition should be published in the historic first year of the Labor government of Wayne Goss, a leader who has already invited comparisons with T. J. Ryan. T. J. Ryan was a natural leader. In 1915 he was elected Labor Premier of Queensland against the turbulent background of World War I. His Labor government set the foundations for Labor rule in Queensland which lasted until the 1957 split. Denis Murphy's fascinating biography concentrates on Ryan the politician, a consummate tactician and leader of great ability whose untimely death in the early 1920s robbed him of the chance to lead the nation. During his years as Premier of Queensland and Deputy Leader of the Federal Australian Labor Party, Ryan passed major reforms in labor laws, from the rending issues of conscription to censorship and industrial unrest. This biography recaptures the tumultuous times of the early twentieth century, set against the struggle for power and political intrigue.