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Australian politician (1855–1922)

James Sinclair Taylor McGowen (16 August 1855 – 7 April 1922) was an Australian politician. He served as premier of New South Wales from 1910 to 1913, the first member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to hold the position, and was a key figure in the party's early history in New South Wales. McGowen was born at sea to English immigrants. He was a boilermaker by profession and soon became involved in the labour movement, becoming president of the Sydney Trades Hall in 1888. McGowen was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the 1891 general election under the auspices of the Labor Electoral League. He succeeded as party leader in 1894 and retained the position following Federation in 1901. He became leader of the opposition after the 1904 election and led the ALP to majority government in 1910. As premier, McGowen oversaw progressive reforms. He was succeeded by his deputy William Holman in 1913 and expelled from the ALP following the 1916 split over conscription. He finished his career as a Nationalist appointee to the New South Wales Legislative Council.

McGowen was the son of James McGowen, a boilermaker, and his wife Eliza Ditchfield, immigrants from Lancashire and was born at sea, on the "Western Bride", on the way to Melbourne. His father worked building in bridges, initially in Victoria, and later in New South Wales. After limited schooling he was apprenticed as a boiler maker in 1870. He became a member of the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders of New South Wales on its establishment in 1873, he became secretary in 1874. He entered the railways department and in 1888 was elected president of the executive of Trades Hall committee. He worked hard and successfully to raise funds to build the Trades Hall at Sydney. McGowen married Emily Towner in 1878 in Redfern, Sydney.—moved a last minute amendment that, when carried, led indirectly to the collapse of William Sandford Limited, owners of the Eskbank Ironworks at Lithgow.

McGowen's honesty and judiciousness were reassuring to the public, and were major factors in Labor's 1910 election win. He remained Premier until 1913, but was not an effective director of the parliamentary party, preferring to leave most issues of party management to his deputy, William Holman. In addition, public works were expanded, and important educational reforms were enacted, together with reforms in electoral law, income tax, arbitration, and housing for workers.

Three of McGowen's sons served in the Great War; one of them was killed at Gallipoli in 1915. McGowen remained a strong supporter of Australia's involvement in the war. The 1916 Labor conference decided to oppose conscription. McGowen, who favoured conscription, was expelled from the party along with many other ALP parliamentarians. At the 1917 election McGowen was defeated by the official Labor candidate William McKell (himself a future Premier), but his career did not end there. His old rival Holman, now himself an apostate from the ALP and leading a Nationalist administration, appointed McGowen to the then unelected Legislative Council in July 1917. McGowen died of heart disease in the Sydney suburb of Petersham and was survived by his wife, five of their seven sons, and two daughters.

Policy speech 1910.