Members of the Queensland Legislative Council, 1917–1922

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.

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:

Chairman of Committees:

Members

Members shaded red were Labor Party members of the Council.

Name Date appointed Date left Reason for leaving
Randolph Bedford[1] 12 October 1917 March 23, 1922
Thomas Beirne 27 July 1905 March 23, 1922
Frederic Brentnall 17 April 1886 March 23, 1922
Charles Campbell 3 July 1914 18 March 1919 Death
William Henry Campbell 12 July 1906 17 June 1919 Death
Robert Carroll 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Arthur Carter 15 July 1901 6 November 1917 Death
William Colborne 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Joe Collings 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Frederick Courtice 12 October 1917 March 23, 1922
James Cowlishaw 18 April 1878 March 23, 1922
Walter Russell Crampton 10 October 1917 March 23, 1922
George Curtis 3 July 1914 March 23, 1922
Alfred Davey 12 July 1906 March 23, 1922
William Demaine 10 October 1917 March 23, 1922
Jeremiah Donovan 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Timothy Donovan 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Andrew Dunn 3 July 1914 March 23, 1922
William Dunstan [2] 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Bartley Fahey 5 May 1904 9 August 1920 Death
William Finlayson 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Edwin Fowles 1 July 1912 March 23, 1922
Angus Gibson 6 April 1899 28 May 1920 Death
George Wilkie Gray 23 August 1894 March 23, 1922
Henry Littleton Groom 12 July 1906 March 23, 1922
Thomas Murray Hall 12 July 1906 March 23, 1922
William Hamilton 10 July 1915 27 July 1920 Death
Jack Hanlon 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Edward Joseph Hanson 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Arthur Hawthorn[1] 11 February 1911 March 23, 1922
Albert Hinchcliffe 4 May 1904 March 23, 1922
Joseph Hodel 3 July 1914 March 23, 1922
Alfred Jones 15 February 1917 March 23, 1922
Hamilton Jones 10 October 1917 March 23, 1922
Thomas Llewellyn Jones 18 August 1919 March 23, 1922
Charles Kilpatrick 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
James Lalor 23 August 1888 11 August 1921 Resignation
George Lawson 18 August 1919 March 23, 1922
Patrick Leahy 1 July 1912 March 23, 1922
William Lennon 18 August 1920 March 23, 1922
Henry Llewellyn 10 October 1917 March 23, 1922
Lewis McDonald 10 October 1917 March 23, 1922
Frank McDonnell 3 July 1907 March 23, 1922
Charles McGhie 4 May 1904 21 January 1917 Death
Herbert McPhail 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Charles Marks 28 November 1888 March 23, 1922
Edward David Miles 5 July 1902 March 23, 1922
Berkeley Basil Moreton 15 July 1901 March 23, 1922
Robert Mulvey 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Peter Murphy 4 May 1904 March 23, 1922
Thomas Nevitt 12 October 1917 March 23, 1922
Charles Nielson 14 September 1907 March 23, 1922
Timothy O'Shea 3 July 1914 March 23, 1922
Gerald Page-Hanify 10 October 1917 11 February 1922 Death
Arthur Parnell 3 March 1908 March 23, 1922
Isidore Perel 10 October 1917 March 23, 1922
Edmund Plant 8 June 1905 March 23, 1922
Ernest Purnell 12 October 1917 March 23, 1922
Jim Riordan 10 October 1917 March 23, 1922
Alexander Skirving 18 August 1919 March 23, 1922
John Gordon Smith 19 February 1920 19 June 1921 Death
William Stephens 1 July 1912 March 23, 1922
Ernest James Stevens 6 April 1899 7 September 1920 Retired[1]
Richard Sumner 10 October 1917 March 23, 1922
William Taylor 17 April 1886 March 23, 1922
George Thompson 19 February 1920 March 23, 1922
Andrew Joseph Thynne 26 January 1882 March 23, 1922
Henry Turner 3 July 1907 March 23, 1922
Arthur Whittingham 1 July 1912 March 23, 1922
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

  1. ^ "Untitled". The Queenslander. 25 September 1920. p. 23. Retrieved 26 December 2013 – via National Library of Australia.