Members of the Queensland Legislative Council, 1917–1922

Last updated January 01, 2023

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:

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 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.

Related Research Articles

The Queensland Legislative Council was the upper house of the parliament in the Australian state of Queensland. It was a fully nominated body which first took office on 1 May 1860. It was abolished by the Constitution Amendment Act 1921, which took effect on 23 March 1922.

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1920 to 1923. Half of its members were elected at the 5 May 1917 election and had terms starting on 1 July 1917 and finishing on 30 June 1923; the other half were elected at the 13 December 1919 election and had terms starting on 1 July 1920 and finishing on 30 June 1926.

This is a list of members of the Queensland Legislative Council from 1 January 1910 to 31 December 1916. Appointments, made by the Governor of Queensland, were for life, although many members for one reason or another resigned.

This is a list of members of the 20th Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1915 to 1918, as elected at the 1915 state election held on 22 May 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred James Jones</span> Australian politician

Alfred James Jones was an Australian politician who served as a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council and as Lord Mayor of Brisbane.

William Lennon was a politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly and a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Queensland.

William Parry Colborne was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

Jeremiah Francis Donovan was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

Timothy John Donovan was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

John Stanislaus Hanlon was a journalist and member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Llewellyn Jones</span> Australian politician

Thomas Llewellyn Jones was a company director and member of both the Queensland Legislative Council and Queensland Legislative Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Kilpatrick (politician)</span>

Charles Kilpatrick was a trade union president and member the Queensland Legislative Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert McPhail</span> Australian politician

Herbert George McPhail was a member of both the Queensland Legislative Council and Queensland Legislative Assembly.

Robert Joseph Mulvey was a trade union secretary and member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Gordon Smith (politician)</span>

John Gordon Smith was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

Francis Henry Bryant was an Australian politician.

Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council who served from 1925 to 1927 were appointed for life by the Governor on the advice of the Premier. This list includes members between the 1925 state election on 30 May 1925 and the 1927 state election on 8 October 1927. The President was Fred Flowers. Magrath appointed, Roberts died, Tyrrell appointed, Wilson died, Dodd died, 23 appointed, Ainsworth appointed, Dickson appointed, 2 expelled, 5 expelled, Brown died, Hordern died, White died, </ref></ref> The Labor platform included the abolition of the Legislative Council. At the opening of the new parliament on 24 June 1925 there were 75 members of the council, with just 23 Labor members and Premier Jack Lang had been seeking to appoint 25 new members, however the Governor Sir Dudley de Chair had declined to do so in September 1925. In December the Governor agreed to make the appointments in circumstances that are disputed. De Chair understood there was an agreement that the appointments would not be used to abolish the Legislative Council, while Lang said he gave no such undertaking. All 25 appointees took the pledge to implement the Labor platform, "including the abolition of the Legislative Council", similar to that signed by other Labor members.

Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council who served from 1920 to 1922 were appointed for life by the Governor on the advice of the Premier. This list includes members between the election on 20 March 1920 and the election on 25 March 1922. The President was Fred Flowers. Sproule appointed, McDonald appointed, Meagher died, Robson Sr died, Garland died, Beeston died, Bryant re-joined Labor, Hall died, 13 appointed, O'Regan appointed, Percival appointed, Dewar appointed, and Hall died. </ref></ref>

Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council who served from 1917 to 1920 were appointed for life by the Governor on the advice of the Premier. This list includes members between the election on 24 March 1917 and the election on 20 March 1920. The President was Fred Flowers. Connington appointed, Heydon died, Hill died, Fosbery died, McCaughey died, and Meagher resigned. </ref></ref>

References

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

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)

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

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

[1]

[2]

[1]

[1]

v t e Members of the Parliament of Queensland
Legislative Assembly	1860–1863 1863–1867 1867–1868 1868–1870 1870–1871 1871–1873 1873–1878 1878–1883 1883–1888 1888–1893 1893–1896 1896–1899 1899–1902 1902–1904 1904–1907 1907–1908 1908–1909 1909–1912 1912–1915 1915–1918 1918–1920 1920–1923 1923–1926 1926–1929 1929–1932 1932–1935 1935–1938 1938–1941 1941–1944 1944–1947 1947–1950 1950–1953 1953–1956 1956–1957 1957–1960 1960–1963 1963–1966 1966–1969 1969–1972 1972–1974 1974–1977 1977–1980 1980–1983 1983–1986 1986–1989 1989–1992 1992–1995 1995–1998 1998–2001 2001–2004 2004–2006 2006–2009 2009–2012 2012–2015 2015–2017 2017–2020 2020–2024
Legislative Council	1860–1869 1870–1879 1880–1889 1890–1899 1900–1909 1910–1916 1917–1922