- Members of the Queensland Legislative Council, 1917–1922
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This is a list of members of the Queensland Legislative Council from 1 January 1917 to the Council's abolition on 23 March 1922. Appointments, made by the Governor of Queensland, were for life, although many members for one reason or another resigned.
Contents
Background
The Legislative Council had become a "thorn in the side" of the Labor government, led by T. J. Ryan and in power since the 1915 election, having rejected or drastically amended over 800 bills between 1915 and 1918. Having failed at a referendum on 5 May 1917 to abolish the council, Labor opted for a new strategy — to stack the Legislative Council with Labor appointees who would then vote themselves out of existence.
In July 1917, the Governor, Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams, agreed reluctantly to Ryan's request to appoint 13 members to the Legislative Council. All of the new members had to sign a pledge supporting the abolition of the Council, and were sworn in on 10–12 October 1917. Another three were added to their number on 18 August 1919, and 14 on 19 February 1920 under new Premier Ted Theodore.
Following the death of Labor president of the Council William Hamilton on 27 July 1920, William Lennon, the Speaker of the Assembly was appointed a member and President. By this time, there were 57 members of the Council, 30 of whom were Labor members who had been appointed since the 1917 referendum, and four additional members were pre-existing Labor appointees.
Following a 51-15 vote in the Assembly in favour of the Constitution Act Amendment Bill 1921, Alfred Jones, the leader of the Government in the Council, commented on 26 October: "Today, we advocate the abolition of the Council because of its uselessness. [...] Until we had a majority here, it was obstructive, and now that we have a majority here it is useless". The bill passed by 28-10, and the Council met for the last time on 27 October 1921. The Council formally ceased to exist on 23 March 1922 after the Bill received royal assent on 3 March.
Office bearers
President of the Legislative Council:
- William Hamilton (15 February 1917—27 July 1920)
- William Lennon (18 August 1920—23 March 1922)
Chairman of Committees:
- William Taylor (Labor) (30 September 1913—16 November 1920)
- Thomas Nevitt (Labor) (17 November 1920—23 March 1922)
Members
Members shaded red were members of the Labor Party and the Council simultaneously.
Name Date appointed Date left Reason for leaving Randolph Bedford[1] 1917-10-12 1922-03-23 Thomas Beirne 1905-07-27 1922-03-23 Frederic Brentnall 1886-04-17 1922-03-23 Charles Campbell 1914-07-03 1919-03-18 Death William Henry Campbell 1906-07-12 1919-06-17 Death Robert Carroll 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Arthur Carter 1901-07-15 1917-11-06 Death William Colborne 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Joseph Collings 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Frederick Courtice 1917-10-12 1922-03-23 James Cowlishaw 1878-04-18 1922-03-15 Walter Russell Crampton 1917-10-10 1922-03-23 George Curtis 1914-07-03 1922-03-23 Alfred Davey 1906-07-12 1922-03-23 William Demaine 1917-10-10 1922-03-23 Jeremiah Donovan 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Timothy Donovan 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Andrew Dunn 1914-07-03 1922-03-23 William Dunstan [2] 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Bartley Fahey 1904-05-05 1920-08-09 Death William Finlayson 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Edwin Fowles 1912-07-01 1922-03-23 Angus Gibson 1899-04-06 1920-05-28 Death George Wilkie Gray 1894-08-23 1922-03-22 Henry Littleton Groom 1906-07-12 1922-03-23 Thomas Murray Hall 1906-07-12 1922-03-23 William Hamilton 1915-07-10 1920-07-27 Death John Hanlon 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Edward Hanson 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Arthur Hawthorn[1] 1911-02-11 1922-03-23 Albert Hinchcliffe 1904-05-04 1922-03-23 Joseph Hodel 1914-07-03 1922-03-23 Alfred Jones 1917-02-15 1922-03-23 Hamilton Jones 1917-10-10 1922-03-23 Thomas Llewellyn Jones 1919-08-18 1922-03-23 Charles Kilpatrick 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 James Lalor 1888-08-23 1921-08-11 Resignation George Lawson 1919-08-18 1922-03-23 Patrick Leahy 1912-07-01 1922-03-23 William Lennon 1920-08-18 1922-03-23 Henry Llewellyn 1917-10-10 1922-03-23 Lewis McDonald 1917-10-10 1922-03-23 Frank McDonnell 1907-07-03 1922-03-23 Charles McGhie 1904-05-04 1917-01-21 Death Herbert McPhail 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Charles Marks 1888-11-28 1922-03-23 Edward Miles 1902-07-05 1922-03-23 Berkeley Basil Moreton 1901-07-15 1922-03-23 Robert Mulvey 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Peter Murphy 1904-05-04 1922-03-23 Thomas Nevitt 1917-10-12 1922-03-23 Charles Nielson 1907-09-14 1922-03-23 Timothy O'Shea 1914-07-03 1922-03-23 Gerald Page-Hanify 1917-10-10 1922-02-11 Death Arthur Parnell 1908-03-03 1922-03-23 Isidore Perel 1917-10-10 1922-03-23 Edmund Plant 1905-06-08 1922-03-23 Ernest Purnell 1917-10-12 1922-03-23 William Riordan 1917-10-10 1922-03-23 Alexander Skirving 1919-08-18 1922-03-23 John Gordon Smith 1920-02-19 1921-06-19 Death William Stephens 1912-07-01 1922-03-23 Ernest Stevens 1899-04-06 1920-09-07 Unknown Richard Sumner 1917-10-10 1922-03-23 William Taylor 1886-04-17 1922-03-23 George Henry Thompson 1920-02-19 1922-03-23 Andrew Thynne 1882-01-26 1922-03-23 Henry Turner 1907-07-03 1922-03-23 Arthur Whittingham 1912-07-01 1922-03-23 - 1 Randolph Bedford resigned on 21 February 1918 and was reappointed on 27 May 1918.
- 2 William Dunstan resigned on 15 June 1921 and was reappointed on 15 August 1921.
References
- Waterson, Duncan Bruce: Biographical Register of the Queensland Parliament 1860-1929 (second edition), Sydney 2001.
- Alphabetical Register of Members (Queensland Parliament)
- Abolition of the Legislative Council (Queensland Parliament)
Preceded by
1910–1916Queensland Legislative Council
1917–1922Succeeded by
Council abolishedCategories:- Members of Queensland parliaments by term
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