Archie Cameron

Archie Cameron
Cameron as Speaker of the House
12th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office
22 February 1950 – 9 August 1956
Preceded bySol Rosevear
Succeeded bySir John McLeay
Leader of the Country Party
In office
13 September 1939 – 16 October 1940
DeputyHarold Thorby
Arthur Fadden
Preceded byEarle Page
Succeeded byArthur Fadden
Minister for Commerce
In office
14 March 1940 – 28 October 1940
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Preceded bySir Earle Page
Succeeded byGeorge McLeay
Minister for Navy
In office
14 March 1940 – 28 October 1940
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Preceded byFrederick Stewart
Succeeded byBilly Hughes
Postmaster-General
In office
7 November 1938 – 26 April 1939
Prime MinisterJoseph Lyons
Earle Page
Preceded byAlexander McLachlan
Succeeded byEric Harrison
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Barker
In office
15 September 1934 – 9 August 1956
Preceded byMalcolm Cameron
Succeeded byJim Forbes
Leader of the South Australian
Country Party
In office
1928 – 9 June 1932
Preceded byMalcolm McIntosh
Succeeded byparty abolished
Member of the South Australian Parliament
for Wooroora
In office
26 March 1927 – 7 August 1934
Preceded byAllan Robertson
Succeeded byAlbert Robertson
Personal details
Born(1895-03-22)22 March 1895
Happy Valley, South Australia, Australia
Died9 August 1956(1956-08-09) (aged 61)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyCountry (federal, 1927–40)
Country (state, until 1932)
LCL (state, 1932–1934)
UAP (1940–44)
Liberal (1944–56)
Spouse
Margaret Walsh
(m. 1925)
OccupationFarmer

Archie Galbraith Cameron (22 March 1895 – 9 August 1956) was an Australian politician. He was a government minister under Joseph Lyons and Robert Menzies, leader of the Country Party from 1939 to 1940, and finally Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1950 until his death.

Cameron was born in Happy Valley, South Australia. After serving in World War I, he took up a farm near Loxton as a soldier settler. He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1927, and to the House of Representatives at the 1934 federal election. Cameron was Postmaster-General in the Lyons government from 1938 to 1939. He replaced Earle Page as leader of the Country Party in September 1939, and in March 1940 led the party back into coalition with the United Australia Party (UAP), which Page had broken off. Cameron was de facto deputy prime minister under Menzies, as well as Minister for Commerce and Minister for the Navy. However, he was deposed as Country Party leader in October 1940, subsequently defecting to the UAP (and later joining the new Liberal Party). Cameron's last appointment was as Speaker, where he was highly respected. He was known throughout his political career for his eccentric manner and strong personality.