When Holman returned, McGowen resigned due to his health and misjudgment in attempting to settle a gasworkers strike.

Holman was elected leader of the Labor Party and was commissioned to form government by Sir Gerald Strickland, Governor of New South Wales.

[1] At the Easter 1916 NSW Labor Conference, the Holman government was censured "for refusing to endeavour to carry out and give effect to the first plank of the Labour platform - abolition of the Upper House".

[4] In November 1916 Labor split over conscription, when Premier Holman, and twenty of his supporters, including ministers William Ashford, William Grahame, David Hall, Henry Hoyle and Arthur Griffith were expelled from the party for defying party policy and supporting conscription.

[5] Holman and his supporters joined a grand coalition with the members of the various conservative parties.