Thomas Bath

Thomas Henry Bath, CBE (21 February 1875 – 6 November 1956) was an Australian politician, trade unionist, newspaper editor, writer, and cooperativist. A member of the Labor Party, he served as a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly between 1902 and 1914 for the constituencies of Hannans, Brown Hill and Avon, and was also Minister for Education for a period of 79 days in 1905, and Leader of the Opposition between 1906 and 1910. In later life, Bath was involved in the establishment of the University of Western Australia, and also initiated several agricultural cooperatives.

Early life Bath was born to Thomas Henry Richard Bath, a miner, and his wife Sarah Ann Bath (née Barrow), on 21 February 1875, at Hill End, New South Wales, a mining town in the Blue Mountains.

He emigrated to the Western Australian Goldfields in 1896, and found work as a miner. The following year, after a brief sojourn in New South Wales, Bath was involved in founding the Amalgamated Workers' Association. In 1898, he was asked to head the local chapter of the Knights of Labor, a United-States–based labour organisation, which he represented at the 1899 trade union conference, held in Coolgardie.

In September 1900, Bath, despite having no formal training in writing, became the first editor of the Westralian Worker, a socialist publication. In July of the following year, Bath gave way to Wallace Nelson.

He married his wife, Elizabeth Maria Jane, in 1904. After being appointed secretary of the Kalgoorlie and Boulder Trades and Labor Council, Bath was involved in various faction-fighting between trade unions.

Bath began his political career in 1902 being elected as the Member for Hannans in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly as part of the Labor Party.

He was re-elected, unopposed, for the new seat of Brown Hill in 1904. Bath was first appointed as the Chairman of Committees in the Legislative Assembly, but relinquished the office when he became the Minister for Education in 1905, as well as the Minister for Lands.

When the Daglish Ministry was subject to a vote of no confidence and collapsed in August 1905, Bath was elected unanimously as the leader of the Labor Party. As a result, he became the Leader of the Opposition. He was re-elected, again unopposed, for the seat of Brown Hill in 1908. While acting as the Leader of the Opposition, he opposed an attempt to introduce public school fees for over 14 year olds, supporting free education from early childhood to university. He was also involved in the establishment of the University of Western Australia and served on its Senate from 1912 to 1919. He was convinced to run for the party in the new seat of Avon in 1911. He retired from politics in 1914.

Later life and legacy After retiring from Parliament, he returned to farming and became a trustee of the Wheat Pool of Western Australia.

Bath was the foundation president of the Shakespeare Club and was also involved in the Perth Repertory Society.

He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1949, for "long service to the wheatgrowing industry of the state". He died at his home in Mount Lawley on 6 November 1956 from a heart attack resulting from coronary occlusion. He was survived by his wife, son and two daughters.

Bath Lane, one of the minor roads in the Ballarat CBD, was named after him.