Leslie Samuel Duncan (20 August 1880 – 27 February 1952) was a newspaper editor and politician in the State of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

History

Duncan was born in

Natimuk, Victoria Natimuk is a town in Western Victoria, Australia, Victoria, Australia. It is located about northwest of Melbourne. A further west of Natimuk is one of Australia's best climbing areas, Mount Arapiles. At the 2016 Australian census, 2016 census, ...

, a son of Andrew and Isabella Duncan. He married Mabel Jory, of the same town, in 1905. He and brother-in-law Harry Jory started in the newspaper business in

Edenhope, Victoria Edenhope is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Wimmera Highway, 30 kilometres from the South Australian border, in the Shire of West Wimmera local government area. At the Edenhope had a population of 946. The township of Eden ...

, where they owned the ''Edenhope Chronicle'', which folded in 1908, then they established '' The Border Chronicle'' at Bordertown and ''Lawloit Times'' at

Kaniva, Victoria Kaniva is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway, north of Little Desert National Park, in the Shire of West Wimmera local government area. It is located roughly east of the South Australian border and east of B ...

, later owned by W. D. Curry. He disposed of the ''Border Chronicle'' to Ben L. Wilkinson and took over the ''Barossa News'', Tanunda in 1915, which he left in 1917 to take the position of managing editor of ''

The Bunyip ''The Bunyip'' is a weekly newspaper, first printed on 5 September 1863, and originally published and printed in Gawler, South Australia. Its distribution area includes the Gawler, Barossa, Light, Playford, and Adelaide Plains areas. Along ...

'', with which he had almost 30 years' association, during which time he revolutionised and expanded the paper's mechanical operations. He controlled ''The Bunyip'' through the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and the shortages and manpower difficulties of the

War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

years. In 1946 he left the ''Bunyip'' but retained an interest in its welfare. For 15 years he was Secretary of the Gawler Agricultural, Horticultural & Floricultural Society named for the town of

Gawler Gawler is the oldest country town on the Australian mainland in the state of South Australia. It was named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative) of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is about north of the ...

. Duncan was a keen bowls player and was elected Club President for the 1949–1950 season. He was for many years until his death a member of the High School council, and the progress of the school was largely due to his efforts. He was elected to the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...

seat of the

Electoral district of Gawler Gawler was an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia from 1938 to 1970. The polling places in the Electorate of Gawler for the 1938 were Cockatoo Valley, Gawler, Gawler Blocks, Gawler South, Loos, ...

for the Labor Party and held the seat from March 1938 until his death on 27 February 1952. He served as secretary of the parliamentary Labor Party until he was forced in 1951 to step down due to ill health. He was a member of the Subordinate Committee on Legislation and the Parliamentary Land Settlement Committee. He died at Hutchison Hospital, Gawler. The burial took place at Willaston General Cemetery, where the

pallbearers A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person. Some traditions distinguish between the roles o ...

were the Premier (

Thomas Playford IV Sir Thomas Playford (5 July 1896 – 16 June 1981) was an Australian politician from the state of South Australia. He served continuously as Premier of South Australia and leader of the Liberal and Country League (LCL) from 5 November 1938 to 10 ...

), the Leader of the Opposition (

Mick O'Halloran Michael Raphael O'Halloran (12 April 1893 – 22 September 1960) was an Australian politician, representing the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party. He served as Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of South Australia ...

), the Attorney General (

Reginald Rudall Reginald John Rudall (27 September 1885 – 1 January 1955) was a lawyer and politician in Gawler, South Australia. His father, Samuel Bruce Rudall, was member for Barossa 1906–1915. History Reginald Rudall was born at Gawler, the son of S ...

), C. R. Hawke, J. F. Power, and K. L. Barnet.

Family

He married Mabel E. Jory of Natimuk on 27 December 1905. Among their children were sons Leslie, Alan and Douglas, and daughters Rosina Isabelle (c. 1912 – 14 August 1937) and Joan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, Leslie 1880 births 1952 deaths Members of the South Australian House of Assembly Australian newspaper editors Australian newspaper proprietors Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of South Australia 20th-century Australian politicians People from Gawler, South Australia