Arthur McAlister Moir (24 December 1900 – 27 April 1984) was an Australian politician who was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

from 1951 to 1971. He served as a minister in the government of

Albert Hawke Albert Redvers George Hawke (3 December 1900 – 14 February 1986) was the 18th Premier of Western Australia. He served from 23 February 1953 to 2 April 1959, and represented the Labor Party. Hawke was born in South Australia, and began ...

. Moir was born in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

to Elizabeth (née Mill) and Robert McAlister Moir. He went to school in the country (including at Yarloop and Welbungin), and subsequently worked for periods as a timber miller (at Wellington Mill), wheat farmer (at Bencubbin, and miner (at

Kalgoorlie Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...

). From 1929 to 1936, Moir served on the Mount Marshall Road Board. He became a union organiser in 1948, working for the

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area include ...

division of the

Australian Workers Union The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s and currently has approximately 80,000 members. It has exerci ...

(AWU).Arthur McAlister Moir
– Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 May 2016. Moir entered parliament at a 1951 by-election for the seat of Boulder, necessitated by the resignation of another former AWU organiser, Charlie Oliver. He won the by-election unopposed, and throughout his career was only opposed once, at the 1962 state election. In the Hawke government, Moir was deputy chairman of committees from 1953 to 1956 and then chairman of committees from 1956 to 1957. He entered cabinet in December 1957, replacing

Lionel Kelly Lionel Francis Kelly (22 January 1897 – 16 April 1977) was an Australian politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1941 to 1968. He was initially elected as an independent, but in 1946 joined the Labor ...

as Minister for Mines in a reshuffle after the resignation of

Ernest Hoar Ernest Knight Hoar (20 October 1898 – 1 May 1979) was an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1943 to 1957, representing Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nels ...

. In November 1958, following the death of Gilbert Fraser, Moir was also made Chief Secretary. He held both positions until the Labor government's defeat at the 1959 state election. Moir left parliament at the 1971 election, and died in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in April 1984, aged 83. He had married Olive Lockett in 1933, with whom he had two children.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Moir, Arthur 1900 births 1984 deaths Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia Trade unionists from Perth, Western Australia Chairmen of Committees of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly Politicians from Perth, Western Australia Western Australian local councillors