William Forgan Smith (15 April 188725 September 1953) was an Australian politician. He served as Premier of the state of Queensland from 1932 to 1942. He came to dominate politics in the state during the 1930s, and his populism, firm leadership, defence of states' rights and interest in state development make him something of an archetypal Queensland Premier. He represented the Labor Party. Early life Forgan Smith was born at Mynefield House, near Invergowrie, Perthshire, Scotland. His father was George Smith, the chief gardener at Airlie Castle. His mother was Mary, née Forgan. Forgan Smith was one of their seven children. He attended local schools before finishing at Dunoon Grammar School. After his schooling, Forgan Smith apprenticed himself to a painter and decorator in Glasgow. He took an early interest in politics, joined the Scottish Labour Party, probably influenced by his observations of the poor conditions in the Clydeside shipyards and other working-class areas in Glasgow. Early political career in Queensland Forgan Smith emigrated to Queensland in 1912 hoping its warm climate would relieve a chronic bronchial condition. He was sponsored by a cousin in Mackay, where he settled, worked as a painter and decorator, and married a local farmer's daughter, Euphemia (Effie) Margaret Wilson (15 January 1913-12 October 1958). Forgan Smith became involved in trade unionism and Queenland Labor politics. Mackay was then the centre of the sugar industry in Queensland and sugar remained a major priority for Forgan Smith throughout his career. Despite the fact that he was only 28 and had been in Queensland only three years, he was pre-selected to run for the seat of Mackay in the 1915 election as the Labor candidate. The election saw a decisive victory for Labor under T. J. Ryan, and Forgan Smith won the seat and entered Parliament. Despite his youth and inexperience, it did not take Forgan Smith too long to adjust. When Prime Minister Hughes called for conscription to be introduced, Forgan Smith joined Premier Ryan in opposing it. This gave him recognition in the Queensland Labor Party, but made him a lifelong enemy in Hughes. Hughes misnamed him as "Hogan Smith, an Irishman from Glasgow" and accused him of speaking "Gaelic treason". Forgan Smith read heavily on Parliamentary procedure; his knowledge meant he was made a temporary Chairman of Committees in 1917, a position which became permanent in 1920. Soon after, he entered Cabinet as a