Tunnecliffe, T. (Thomas), 1869-1948

Thomas Tunnecliffe (1869-1948) was born at Coghills Creek, Vic. In 1886 he joined his father's trade and opened a bootmakers' shop in North Melbourne. He became president and treasurer of the Victorian Operative Bootmakers' Union, president of the Knights of Labor, delegate to the International Socialist Congress in Sydney in 1888, member of the Victorian Socialists' League, treasurer and co-founder of the Victorian Labor Federation, and president of the Trades Hall Council and the Eight Hours' Committee. He entered parliament in 1903, winning the Legislative Assembly seat of West Melbourne for the Labor Party. In 1907 he won the provincial seat of Eaglehawk and reamined a member there for 13 years. He then returned to Melbourne and served as secretary of the Public Service Association from 1920 to 1924. In 1921 he re-entered the Legislative Assembly as the member for Collingwood. In 1926 he was appointed Deputy Leader of the State Labor caucus, which soon took office with Tunnecliffe as minister for railways and electrical undertakings. By 1935 he had served a period as leader of the Opposition, and between 1937 and 1940 he was Speaker. He then served as a backbench 'elder statesman' until being forced to resign due to ill health in 1947. He died at his Clifton Hill home in 1948 and was given a state funeral at Fawkner crematorium.