James Scullin

James Henry Jim Scullin was an Australian Labor Party politician and the ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Scullin led Labor to government at the 1929 election. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 transpired just two days after his swearing in, which would herald the beginning of the Great Depression in Australia. Scullins administration would soon be overwhelmed by the economic crisis, with interpersonal and policy disagreements causing a threeway split of his party that would bring down the government in late 1931. Despite his chaotic term of office, Scullin remained a leading figure in the Labor movement throughout his lifetime, and served as an minence grise in various capacities for the party until his retirement in 1949.

James Henry Scullin was born in Trawalla, Victoria onSeptember 1876. His parents, John and Ann Scullin, were both Irish Catholics from County Londonderry. His father was a railway labourer, who emigrated to Australia in his 20s. His mother joined her husband in Australia later. James was the fourth of eight children, and grew up in a tightknit and devoutly Catholic home. James attended the Trawalla State School from 1881 to 1887 and earned an early reputation as an active and quickwitted boy, though never physically robust. These characteristics would remain with him for life.

Source: Wikipedia