Walter Massy-Greene

Sir Walter Massy-Greene KCMG (6 November 187416 November 1952) was an Australian politician and businessman. As a Liberal and Nationalist member of the House of Representatives, he became a protégé of Prime Minister Billy Hughes and was groomed as his successor. He served as Minister for Trade and Customs (1919–1921), Defence (1921–1923), and Health (1921–1923), but his prime ministerial aspirations were brought to an abrupt halt by his defeat at the 1922 federal election. Massy-Greene subsequently served two terms as a Senator for New South Wales (1923–1925, 1926–1938), but never regained his earlier influence in politics. In retirement he held numerous company directorships.

Early life Walter Massy Greene was born on 6 November 1874 in Camberwell, England. He was the second son of Julia (née Sandeman) and John Greene, a brewer and hotel proprietor. His maternal grandfather was General Robert Turnbull Sandeman, and his uncle Robert Groves Sandeman was a colonial administrator in India. The family surname was Greene, but at some point Walter chose to treat his middle name as an additional surname; he officially added a hyphen in March 1933.

Greene grew up in Wimbledon before boarding at Lynton House College in Oxfordshire. He was sent to Australia in 1891 for health reasons, and worked as a farm and sawmill labourer in northern Tasmania for a period. He was later joined by his family, who took up land near Kyneton, Victoria. In 1895, Greene joined the Bank of New South Wales and was posted to the gold-rush town of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. After a few years he joined the bank's head office in Sydney, and then was transferred to Lismore, New South Wales. From 1902, he farmed a property near Nimbin with his two brothers.

Politics

Early years Massy-Greene joined the newly created Federal Liberal League in 1909. At the 1910 federal election, he was elected to the Division of Richmond with the support of small farmers. He joined the parliamentary Liberal Party and soon became known for his attacks on the Fisher government's financial legislation. Massy-Greene retained his seat at the 1913 election, which saw the Liberals win a one-seat majority in the House of Representatives. He was appointed as party whip by Prime Minister Joseph Cook, and subsequently played a key role in maintaining party discipline.

After leaving the Nationalists, Massy-Greene joined the provisional committee of Hughes' new Australian Party on 5 December 1929, with he and Duncan its only representatives in the Senate. He resigned from the Australian Party on 26 December 1930 to rejoin the Nationalists. He subsequently joined the new United Australia Party in early 1931, along with Hughes and Duncan. He subsequently formally changed his surname to Massy-Greene to reflect his usage over the previous two decades.

Later life

Business career In 1936, Massy-Greene became chairman of Associated Pulp and Paper Mills on its formation, a post which he held until his death. He was also the chairman of the Emu Bay Railway and a director of Electrolytic Zinc, Felt and Textiles of Australia Ltd., Yarra Falls Ltd., and many other companies.

Other activities During World War II, Massy-Greene served as chairman of the Treasury Finance Committee and as a member of the National Security Capital Issues Advisory Board and Defence Board of Business Administration. In 1940, he led the Australian delegation to the Eastern Group Supply Conference which led to the creation of the Eastern Group Supply Council. Although he never attended university, Massy-Greene also served on the University of Melbourne council from 1939 to 1949, including as deputy chancellor from 1945 to 1947.

Personal life Massy-Greene married Lula May Lomax in Mungindi, New South Wales on 6 February 1915. The couple had three children together. His son Sir Brian Massy-Greene served as chairman of the Commonwealth Bank.

After the deaths of George Pearce and Billy Hughes in 1952, Massy-Greene was the sole survivor of the Hughes Nationalist ministries. On 13 November 1952, he was admitted to Freemasons Hospital, Melbourne, where he underwent an operation on his gall bladder the following day. After "progressing satisfactorily" he died on 16 November. A state funeral was held at St John's Anglican Church, Toorak, before a cremation at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.