George Pearce

Sir George Pearce
Pearce, c. 1915
Minister for External Affairs
In office
12 October 1934 – 29 November 1937
Prime MinisterJoseph Lyons
Preceded byJohn Latham
Succeeded byBilly Hughes
Minister for Defence
In office
6 January 1932 – 12 October 1934
Prime MinisterJoseph Lyons
Preceded byBen Chifley
Succeeded byArchdale Parkhill
In office
17 September 1914 – 21 December 1921
Prime MinisterAndrew Fisher
Billy Hughes
Preceded byEdward Millen
Succeeded byWalter Massy-Greene
In office
29 April 1910 – 24 June 1913
Prime MinisterAndrew Fisher
Preceded byJoseph Cook
Succeeded byEdward Millen
In office
13 November 1908 – 2 June 1909
Prime MinisterAndrew Fisher
Preceded byThomas Ewing
Succeeded byJoseph Cook
Leader of the Government in the Senate
In office
6 January 1932 – 29 November 1937
Preceded byJohn Barnes
Succeeded byAlexander McLachlan
In office
9 February 1923 – 19 October 1929
Preceded byEdward Millen
Succeeded byJohn Daly
In office
17 September 1914 – 17 February 1917
Preceded byEdward Millen
Succeeded byEdward Millen
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
In office
22 October 1929 – 6 January 1932
Preceded byJohn Daly
Succeeded byJohn Barnes
Minister for Home and Territories
In office
21 December 1921 – 18 June 1926
Prime MinisterBilly Hughes
Stanley Bruce
Preceded byAlexander Poynton
Succeeded byWilliam Glasgow
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party
In office
27 October 1915 – 14 November 1916
LeaderBilly Hughes
Preceded byBilly Hughes
Succeeded byAlbert Gardiner
Senator for Western Australia
In office
29 March 1901 – 30 June 1938
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byRobert Clothier
Personal details
Born
George Foster Pearce

(1870-01-14)14 January 1870
Mount Barker, Province of South Australia, British Empire
Died24 June 1952(1952-06-24) (aged 82)
Elwood, Victoria, Australia
Political party
Spouse
Eliza Barrett
(m. 1897; died 1947)
OccupationCarpenter
Signature

Sir George Foster Pearce KCVO (14 January 1870 – 24 June 1952) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Western Australia from 1901 to 1938. He began his career in the Labor Party but later joined the National Labor Party, the Nationalist Party, and the United Australia Party; he served as a cabinet minister under prime ministers from all four parties.

Pearce was born in Mount Barker, South Australia. He left school at the age of 11 and trained as a carpenter, later moving to Western Australia and becoming involved in the union movement. He helped establish the Labor Party there, and in 1901 – aged 31 – was elected to the new federal parliament. Pearce was elevated to cabinet in 1908, under Andrew Fisher, and served in each of Fisher's three governments. He continued on in cabinet when Billy Hughes became prime minister in 1915, and after the Labor Party split of 1916 followed Hughes to the National Labor Party and then to the Nationalists. Pearce also served in cabinet under Stanley Bruce and, after joining the UAP in 1931, Joseph Lyons. He was Minister for Defence from 1908 to 1909, 1910 to 1913, 1914 to 1921, and 1932 to 1934. His 24 years in cabinet and 37 years as a senator are both records.