Preceded by Edward Dickens Spouse(s) Jane Dawson Party Australian Labor Party Role Politician | Full Name Richard Sleath Name Richard Sleath Succeeded by Seat Abolished Children 4 | |
Born 3 October 1863
Cerres, Fifeshire ( 1863-10-03 ) Other political
affiliations Nationalist Party of Australia Died October 10, 1922, Sydney, Australia | ||
Political party Australian Labor Party | ||
Richard 'Dick' Sleath (3 October 1863 – 10 October 1922) was an Australian politician.
Born in Cerres, Fifeshire to ploughman Richard Sleath and Mary Fernie, he migrated to Queensland in 1877, becoming a shearer and prospector. In 1882 he moved to Sydney, working as a contractor before mining at Broken Hill from 1887. On 11 March 1887, he married Jane Dawson with whom he had four sons. He helped found the first Socialist League at Broken Hill and was a member of the central executive of the Labor Party in 1898. In 1894 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Labour member for Wilcannia. He lost his Labour endorsement in 1901 but was re-elected as an Independent Labor candidate, losing his seat in 1904. In 1917 Sleath, a supporter of conscription, joined the Nationalist Party. He died in Sydney in 1922.