Australia - 1900-1988.
Deputy Prime Ministers and other politicians.

Politicians were required, by the nature of their tasks, to send telegrams about a variety of activities and issues. Telegrams to Prime Ministers are reviewed elsewhere. On this page, telegrams involving Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and State Premiers are reviewed.

Some examples are shown below for:

John Cain
(Victoria)		 Charles Court
(Western Australia)		 John G. Latham
(Federal)		  
  Neville Wran
(N.S.W.)		 Private Secretary in the mid-1890s to Tasmania Governor Jenico Preston.  

John Cain:
26 April 1931 to 23 December 2019.
Labour Party

John Cain served three terms as Premier of Victoria:
April 1982 - 1985
1985 - 1988
1988 - August 1990.

He was the longest lived Premier of Victoria.

Full details about John Cain can be retrieved elsewhere.


Telegram to John Cain from the Builders Labourers Union (AT-TO-14C).
3 June 1885 from Law Courts.

Franked with $5 Mentone, $1 Sword-Grass Brown Butterfly, 55c Bennets Nudibranch and (on reverse) 2c Coral Hopper.
John G. Latham.
Nationals/United Australia Party.
1877 to 1964.

As his career developed, Latham was appointed secretary of the Victorian branch of the Universal Service League on its formation in 1917. Soon after, following allegations of sabotage in the naval dockyards, he was appointed head of Naval Intelligence with the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Commander.

He first stood for Parliament in 1922 in the seat of Kooyong as an Independent Liberal Union candidate. In 1925, he joined the National Party and became Attorney-General. In 1929, he helped formulate legislation which would cede to the States responsibility for industrial regulation except for the maritime industry. That move was unsuccessful and the Government lost at the October 1929 election.

At the Election, Bruce lost his seat and Latham became Leader of the Nationalists and so was Leader of the Opposition for the next 18 months. He stepped down from leadership in favour of Joseph Lyons in 1931 and the United Australia Party was formed. The UAP won the election at the end of 1931 and he was appointed Attorney-General and Minister for External Affairs and Industry at the beginning of 1932.

In 1934 Latham retired from politics and was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court in October 1935 where he served until 1952. Legislation passed in 1940 enabled Latham to become Australia's first minister to Japan while still Chief Justice. He served in Japan from the end of 1940 to September 1941.

Full details about John G. Latham can be retrieved elsewhere.


Cablegram or Radiogram.
From Mollison (Croydon, UK) to Lieut. Commander Latham,
Attorney-General, Parliament House.
Only a few days after setting the record times for the England-Australia-England flight.
TELEGRAPHS CANBERRA date stamp of 7 August 1931 on form IAB-DC-5.

James Mollison was born on 19 April 1905 in Glasgow. He obtained his RAF Short Service Commission at the age of 18. Although he gained a reputation as a playboy, Mollison approached his aviation with intent:

  • in July/August, he set a record time of 8 days, 22 hours 35 minutes for a flight from Australia to England. The above telegram was received on 7 August - the day after he landed. HHis plane was a D. H. Moth.
  • in March 1932, he set a record for flying from England to Cape Town, South Africa in 4 days, 17 hours.

The cover which Latham would have used to keep the cover - and signed by him.

The flap on the reverse of Latham's cover.

Neville Wran.

Labor Party - Premier 1976 to 1986.