Robert Cosgrove

Sir Robert Cosgrove (28 December 1884 – 25 August 1969) was an Australian politician who was the 30th and longest-serving Premier of Tasmania. He held office for over 18 years, serving from 1939 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1958. His involvement in state politics spanned five decades, and he dominated the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Labor Party for a generation.

Early life Cosgrove was born in Tea Tree, a rural locality close to Brighton, Tasmania. He was the fourth of eight children born to Mary Ann Hewitt and Michael Thomas Cosgrove; his father was born in Ireland. Cosgrove attended state schools in Campania, Sorell, and Richmond, before completing his education at St Mary's College, Hobart. Before entering politics, he worked as a grocer. He was involved with the United Grocers' Union, the Shop Assistants' Union, and the Storemen's and Packers' Union. From 1906 to 1909, he lived in Wellington, New Zealand, where he served on the council of the Wellington Trades Hall.

Politics After an unsuccessful candidacy in 1916, Cosgrove was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly at the 1919 state election, standing in the seat of Denison. He was defeated in 1922, re-elected in 1925, defeated again in 1931, and re-elected again in 1934. Thereafter he held his seat until his retirement in 1958.

Cosgrove served for periods as state president of the Labor Party's organisation wing and whip of the parliamentary party. He was appointed to the ministry in 1934, under Albert Ogilvie, with responsibility for agriculture, forests, and the Agricultural Bank of Tasmania. He reorganised the Department of Agriculture and was popular in rural areas. He appointed himself Minister for Education in 1948, and oversaw "an extensive school-building programme". During the 1955 Labor Party split, Cosgrove was able to prevent the large-scale defections to the Democratic Labor Party seen in other states. However, the party did split ideologically to some extent, and some individuals (notably Reg Turnbull and Brian Harradine) eventually left the party to sit as independents.

Cosgrove fell ill in July 1958, and underwent surgery in Melbourne. He retired as premier on 25 August 1958, at the age of 73, and was replaced by his long-serving deputy Eric Reece, who kept Labor in power until 1969. Cosgrove was premier for 18 years and six months, the longest service in Tasmanian history. Only two other Australian state premiers have served for longer – South Australia's Thomas Playford IV (26 years) and Queensland's Joh Bjelke-Petersen (19 years), both of whom used gerrymandering to hold onto power. In 1959, Cosgrove was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG), one of the few Labor politicians to accept a knighthood.

Other activities Cosgrove was chairman of the Tasmanian Tourist Council and of the Southern Tasmanian Trotting Association. He was also a member of the council of the University of Tasmania (1940–46 and 1948–55) and of the local branch of the St Vincent de Paul Society, and president of the Royal Hobart Golf Club. After leaving politics, he served as chairman of Willowdene Development Co. Pty Ltd, a real estate firm.

Personal life Cosgrove married Gertrude Ann Geappen in 1911. They were married until her death in 1962. The couple had four children, including a son who was killed in World War II. Another son, Henry Cosgrove, became a judge of the Supreme Court of Tasmania.

Cosgrove died in Hobart on 25 August 1969. He was granted a state funeral and was buried at Cornelian Bay Cemetery.