Mutch, Thomas Davies, 1885 – 1958

Thomas Davies Mutch (1885-1958), journalist, historian and parliamentarian, was born at Lambeth, London, son of William and Sarah Mutch. He arrived at Sydney with his parents in 1887 and was educated at Double Bay Public School. He worked in shearing sheds for four years before returning to Sydney in 1903 when he joined the staff of the Australian Worker where he met Henry Lawson.

In 1909 Mutch organised the Australian Writers' and Artists' Union which merged with the Australian Journalists' Association in 1913. He was a member of the State Labor central executive from 1913 to 1917 and was a delegate to federal Labor conferences. In 1917 Mutch was elected the Labor member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for the seat of Botany. Mutch was expelled from the Labor Party in 1927, held his seat as an independent and then lost his seat in 1930 when he stood as an independent candidate.

Mutch was a founding member of the All for Australia League in 1931 and joined the United Australia Party in 1932. He was defeated for the Federal seat of Werriwa in 1934 and the State seat of Bathurst in 1938 but won a by-election in the State seat of Coogee in 1938. Mutch was defeated in the 1941 election.

Mutch worked as a freelance journalist, writing historical articles for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Bulletin. He had a passionate interest in Australian history and genealogy and was a fellow and council-member of the Royal Australian Historical Society, a council-member of the Society of Australian Genealogists, a trustee of the Public Library of NSW and a member of the Mitchell Library committee. [ref:ADB 10]