Albert Ogilvie
A dynamic Tasmanian premier whose ambitious public works and sudden death in office left a lasting mark on the island state.
1890–1939 (age 49)·Premier of Tasmania from 1934 until 1939·Birthday: March 10·The Lost Generation
Biography
Albert Ogilvie emerged as a forceful political figure in Tasmania during the Great Depression, bringing a lawyer's precision and a reformer's zeal to the premiership. His tenure, beginning in 1934, was defined by an active state interventionism aimed at pulling Tasmania out of economic stagnation. Ogilvie championed significant public works, most notably the ambitious hydro-electric development on the Derwent River, which sought to industrialize the state. His leadership style was energetic and confident, often placing him at odds with federal authorities. His sudden death from a heart attack in 1939, just days before he was to attend a critical wartime conference, cut short a career that had fundamentally shifted Tasmania's economic trajectory and left a political vacuum on the eve of global conflict.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Albert was born in 1890, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Albert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1890
Albert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1890Born
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Started school
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Became a teenager
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could drive
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could vote
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Turned 21
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 30
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 40
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1939Died at 49
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
Key Achievements
- Served as Premier of Tasmania for five years, from 1934 until his death in 1939.
- Spearheaded major hydro-electric development projects to industrialize Tasmania's economy.
- Led the state through the latter years of the Great Depression with a policy of active government intervention.
Did You Know?
He was a talented Australian rules football player in his youth.
Ogilvie died in the Treasury building in Melbourne while on official business.
His brother, John, also served in the Tasmanian parliament.
“The state must be the active agent in rebuilding our economy.”
