Stanley Bruce

From Kaiserreich

Revision as of 13:07, 30 November 2008

Stanley Bruce (born in Melbourne, Australasia on April 15 1883) is an Australian politican and the current Governor-General of the Australasian Confederation.

Biography

Early Life

Stanley Bruce was born in Melbourne on April 15 1882, the youngest of five children; his father John Munro Bruce was a prominent businessman of Scottish descent. He was educated at Glamorgan (now part of Geelong Grammar School) and at Melbourne Grammar School. His father died in 1901, the year that Bruce finished school; after a year working in the family firm, Bruce moved to England with his mother and sister. Bruce entered Cambridge University in January 1903, he graduated there in 1906 and was then admitted as a barrister. While he practised law in London, he also managed the London office of his father's importing business.

During the Weltkrieg

When the Weltkrieg broke out he joined the British Army in January 1915 and was commissioned to the Worcestershire Regiment. Seconded to the Royal Fusiliers as temporary captain, he fought in the Gallipoli campaign: he went ashore at Hellas and on June 3 he was wounded. Bruce rejoined the fighting at Suvla Bay where he won the Military Cross for making contact with an isolated section, but in October he was wounded in the knee and invalided to England. Later he received the Croix de Guerre avec Palme in recognition of the support his battalion had given to the French.

Political career

Upon his return to Melbourne in January 1917 as a decorated hero of Gallipoli, Captain Bruce – though no great orator and with a decidedly British manner – was involved in Australia’s recruitment campaigns for the remaining years of the war. His public speaking attracted the attention of the Nationalist Party and he became the Nationalist Party’s candidate in the seat of Flinders, in Victoria. Having won an election on 11 May 1918, Bruce became a Member of the House of Representatives for Flinders. From his position, he encouraged the military effort and the support to the British Empire.

His background in business led to his being appointed Treasurer (finance minister) in 1921. Bruce exploited public fears of syndicalism and militant trade unions and appealed for law and order against strikes and 'foreign agitator', indicated as responsibles for the loss of wages and the rising prices. He was not satisfied with the efficiency of Australian industry and hoped to improve productivity by taking expert advice and creating advisory services; he also tried to create a national transport system by providing federal money for roads and pushing for a standardization of railway gauges. One of his main objective was to create a stronger link between Britain and its Dominion, so he expanded the investment opportunities in order to attract British capital to Australia.

Personal Life

At Sonning, Berkshire (now Union of Britain), Bruce married on July 12 1913 Ethel Dunlop Anderson (born on May 25 1879), daughter of Andrew George Anderson and grand-daughter of Thomas Manifold. Ethel was to be his closest confidante: letters to friends reveal that the decisions which touched him personally and closely were usually made in consultation with her. They took motoring holidays together, shared interests in bridge and golf, went regularly to the theatre. On his journeys overseas and around Australia, she always went with him and he was especially helped by her quick recollection of people they had met. They had no children.