Timothy Quinlan

Timothy Francis Quinlan, CMG (18 February 1861–8 July 1927) was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1890 to 1911, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1905 to 1911.

Born in Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Ireland on 18 February 1861, Timothy Quinlan emigrated to Western Australia with his parents in 1863. Orphaned in 1865, he was raised by Joseph Thomas Reilly, and educated at the Cathedral Boys School in Perth. He worked for John Monger at York from 1975, and then for Alexander McRae at Roebourne. He was also involved in the pearling industry for abour two years.

In 1882, Quinlan leased the Shamrock Hotel in Perth from Daniel Connor, an expiree convict who had become one of the wealthy men in the colony. The following year, Quinlan married Connor's daughter Teresa; they would have eight children before her death in September 1904.

From 1890, Quinlan became increasingly involved in public affairs. He was a member of the Perth City Council from 1890 to 1902, unsuccessfully contesting the mayoralty in 1900; and he became a Justice of the Peace in 1893. On 10 December 1890, he was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of West Perth. Quinlan became embroiled in a controversy regarding provision of state aid to private schools, which he and fellow Catholic MLAs Thomas Molloy and Marinus Canning supported. The Catholic Vicar General, Father Anselm Bourke, established the Education Defence League with their assistance. However, the issue became a major one in the 1894 election, and all three MLAs lost their seats to opponents of state aid—Quinlan was defeated by Barrington Wood.

In the election of 28 November 1897, he won the Legislative Assembly seat of Toodyay, which he would hold for nearly 14 years. From 21 November to 23 December 1901, he was Minister for Works in the short-lived Morgans ministry. He served as Chairman of Committees from 18 July to 23 November 1905, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 23 November 1905 to 3 October 1911. Quinlan lost his seat in the election of 3 October 1911. In March 1918 he contested a Metropolitan Province seat in the Legislative Council, but was unsuccessful.

Quinlan was a member of the Perth Hospital Board for many years, and its chairman from 1905 to 1913. He was a director of the South British Insurance Company, and of the Perth Building Society from 1901 to 1927, serving as its chairman after 1924. He was a trustee of the University Endowment Act, and a member of the Board of Management for the Deaf and Dumb, and the Institute for the Blind. He was created CMG in 1913. He died in Perth on 8 July 1927, and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.

References

*
*Kimberly 1897
*cite book |title = A New History of Western Australia |last=de Garis |first=Brian |editor = Stannage, C.T. |year= 1981 |publisher= University of Western Australia Press |location=Nedlands |isbn=0-85564-170-3 |chapter = Self-government and the evolution of party politics |pages= 342-343

Persondata
NAME=Quinlan, Timothy Francis
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=politician
DATE OF BIRTH=18 February 1861
PLACE OF BIRTH=Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Ireland
DATE OF DEATH=8 July 1927
PLACE OF DEATH=Perth, Western Australia