Archie Cameron

The Honourable Archie Cameron
Cameron as Speaker of the House
12th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office 22 February 1950 – 9 August 1956
Preceded by	Sol Rosevear
Succeeded by	Sir John McLeay
Leader of the Country Party
In office 13 September 1939 – 16 October 1940
Deputy	Harold Thorby Arthur Fadden
Preceded by	Earle Page
Succeeded by	Arthur Fadden
Minister for Commerce
In office 14 March 1940 – 28 October 1940
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies
Preceded by	Sir Earle Page
Succeeded by	George McLeay
Minister for Navy
In office 14 March 1940 – 28 October 1940
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies
Preceded by	Frederick Stewart
Succeeded by	Billy Hughes
Postmaster-General
In office 7 November 1938 – 26 April 1939
Prime Minister	Joseph Lyons Earle Page
Preceded by	Alexander McLachlan
Succeeded by	Eric Harrison
Member of the Australian Parliament for Barker
In office 15 September 1934 – 9 August 1956
Preceded by	Malcolm Cameron
Succeeded by	Jim Forbes
Leader of the South Australian Country Party
In office 1928 – 9 June 1932
Preceded by	Malcolm McIntosh
Succeeded by	party abolished
Member of the South Australian Parliament for Wooroora
In office 26 March 1927 – 7 August 1934
Preceded by	Allan Robertson
Succeeded by	Albert Robertson
Personal details
Born	(1895-03-22)22 March 1895 Happy Valley, South Australia, Australia
Died	9 August 1956(1956-08-09) (aged 61) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Country (federal, 1927–40) Country (state, until 1932) LCL (state, 1932–1934) UAP (1940–44) Liberal (1944–56)
Spouse	Margaret Walsh ​ (m. 1925)​
Occupation	Farmer

Archie Galbraith Cameron (22 March 1895 – 9 August 1956) was an Australian politician. He was a government minister under Joseph Lyons and Robert Menzies, leader of the Country Party from 1939 to 1940, and finally Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1950 until his death.

Cameron was born in Happy Valley, South Australia. After serving in World War I, he took up a farm near Loxton as a soldier settler. He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1927, and to the House of Representatives at the 1934 federal election. Cameron was Postmaster-General in the Lyons government from 1938 to 1939. He replaced Earle Page as leader of the Country Party in September 1939, and in March 1940 led the party back into coalition with the United Australia Party (UAP), which Page had broken off. Cameron was de facto deputy prime minister under Menzies, as well as Minister for Commerce and Minister for the Navy. However, he was deposed as Country Party leader in October 1940, subsequently defecting to the UAP (and later joining the new Liberal Party). Cameron's last appointment was as Speaker, where he was highly respected. He was known throughout his political career for his eccentric manner and strong personality.