Billy Trenwith

William Arthur Trenwith (15 July 1846 – 26 July 1925) was an Australian labour movement politician and pioneer trade union official who served as the 1st leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party (Labour Party) from 1892 to 1900. He also served as senator for Victoria from 1904 to 1910.

Early life Born to convict parents in Launceston, Tasmania, Trenwith followed his father's trade as a bootmaker. Largely unschooled, barely literate, and with poor eyesight, he had a gift for oratory and public speaking which would assist him in union organising and later as a politician. He was involved during the late 1870s with the National Reform League, where he agitated for protective tariffs, a land tax, and reform of the Victorian Legislative Council.

Victorian politics

After a number of attempts at nomination, Trenwith was elected in May 1889 for the seat of Richmond to the Victorian Legislative Assembly on a labour platform and sought reforms in education, unemployment, and tariff protection. During the 1890 maritime strike, he argued strongly for compulsory arbitration over direct action, much to the disgust of labour radicals. His support for federation was over the objections of most in the labour movement and served to ameliorate accusations from The Age that the Federation Bill had been "wholly shaped in a conservative direction".

From 1903 to 1910, he served as an independent senator for Victoria. Trenwith's withdrawal of support for the Federal Labor government of Andrew Fisher resulted in his defeat at the following election and subsequent retirement from federal politics.

He attempted to return to Victorian state politics at the 1911 Victorian state election, unsuccessfully contesting the seat of Gippsland North on behalf of the People's Party against the sitting Labor MLA James McLachlan.

Personal life and death Trenwith was married three times. His first marriage was to Susannah Page on 2 November 1868, with whom he would have four children, a daughter and three sons. Page died in 1896. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Bright on 7 April 1896, with whom he would have three children, a daughter and two sons. Bright died in 1923. His third marriage was to Helen Florence Sinclair on 1 October 1924.

Trenwith died in Melbourne on 26 July 1925, aged 79, survived by his third wife and his seven children.