Publisher's Synopsis
William McKell, the long-serving Labor Premier of New South Wales (1941-47), is in many ways the architect of the great electoral success of the ALP in NSW since the Second World War. - His political life began after the momentous 1916 split in the ALP over the conscription issue, when he became the youngest endorsed Labor candidate for the NSW state election. - Before he turned thirty he had become NSW Minister of Justice, and he eventually won the party leadership in 1939 and led the party to victory in 1941. - McKell played a central role in creating the modern NSW Labor Party, a pragmatic, electorally successful political machine. - Neville Wran described him as "perhaps the most significant political figure in the history of NSW"; like Wran, he cultivated rural as well as urban voters. - After six years as premier he accepted - controversially - Prime Minister Menzies' invitation to become Governor General, a post he filled until 1953. He died in 1985. - This lively account of McKell's life provides a vivid portrait of the development of this important labour movement figure, and a readable insight into New South Wales politics during a key period in twentieth century history.
