Ernest Durack (10 August 1882 – 16 November 1967) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1913 until 1917. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) for 3 months until February 1917. Durack was born near Bathurst. He was the son of a storekeeper and was educated at All Saints' College, Bathurst. In 1903 he married Cora Armstrong at Rydal and had two sons and three daughters with her.

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  • Ernest Durack (10 August 1882 – 16 November 1967) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1913 until 1917. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) for 3 months until February 1917. Durack was born near Bathurst. He was the son of a storekeeper and was educated at All Saints' College, Bathurst. In 1903 he married Cora Armstrong at Rydal and had two sons and three daughters with her. He found employment as a farmer and clerk until his entry to parliament in the 6 December 1913 election when he won the seat of Bathurst. In parliament his strong oratory skills were quickly noticed and he became Chairman of Committees (deputy Speaker). In 1916 the ALP was divided on the question of conscription in World War I. The Labor premier William Holman supported Labor Prime Minister Billy Hughes in opposition to the party's anti-conscription policy. Holman and 28 supporters were expelled from the ALP but Holman was able to maintain majority support in the Assembly by forming a coalition government with Charles Wade on 15 November 1916. Durack defeated John Storey in the ballot for leader of the remaining Labor party members as well as Leader of the opposition. It was said that he was a much harder worker than Storey. The ALP had only 21 supporters in a house of 90 members. In early 1917, Holman called a snap general election. Durack was scheduled to deliver the ALP's policy speech on 21 February but on the morning of that day he announed his resignation from the party leadership and as the ALP candidate for Bathurst. Mystery surrounded his actions for some years until it was discovered that he had fathered a daughter born in August 1916 to Winifred McNab. He feared that this would become a public scandal during the election campaign. He was succeeded as ALP leader by Storey. Durack enlisted as a private the Australian Imperial Force in September 1917 and saw service in Great Britain. However he was invalided back to Australia in August 1918. His movements until 1950, when he was a storekeeper near Bathurst, are unknown. Cora Armstrong died in 1956 and he then married McNab.
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  • 1913 – 1917
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  • Ernest Durack (10 August 1882 – 16 November 1967) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1913 until 1917. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) for 3 months until February 1917. Durack was born near Bathurst. He was the son of a storekeeper and was educated at All Saints' College, Bathurst. In 1903 he married Cora Armstrong at Rydal and had two sons and three daughters with her.
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  • Ernest Durack
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