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:

• 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]	October 12, 1917	March 23, 1922
Thomas Beirne	July 27, 1905	March 23, 1922
Frederic Brentnall	April 17, 1886	March 23, 1922
Charles Campbell	July 3, 1914	March 18, 1919	Death
William Henry Campbell	July 12, 1906	June 17, 1919	Death
Robert Carroll	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Arthur Carter	July 15, 1901	November 6, 1917	Death
William Colborne	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Joe Collings	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Frederick Courtice	October 12, 1917	March 23, 1922
James Cowlishaw	April 18, 1878	March 15, 1922
Walter Russell Crampton	October 10, 1917	March 23, 1922
George Curtis	July 3, 1914	March 23, 1922
Alfred Davey	July 12, 1906	March 23, 1922
William Demaine	October 10, 1917	March 23, 1922
Jeremiah Donovan	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Timothy Donovan	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Andrew Dunn	July 3, 1914	March 23, 1922
William Dunstan ^[2]	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Bartley Fahey	May 5, 1904	August 9, 1920	Death
William Finlayson	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Edwin Fowles	July 1, 1912	March 23, 1922
Angus Gibson	April 6, 1899	May 28, 1920	Death
George Wilkie Gray	August 23, 1894	March 22, 1922
Henry Littleton Groom	July 12, 1906	March 23, 1922
Thomas Murray Hall	July 12, 1906	March 23, 1922
William Hamilton	July 10, 1915	July 27, 1920	Death
Jack Hanlon	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Edward Joseph Hanson	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Arthur Hawthorn^[1]	February 11, 1911	March 23, 1922
Albert Hinchcliffe	May 4, 1904	March 23, 1922
Joseph Hodel	July 3, 1914	March 23, 1922
Alfred Jones	February 15, 1917	March 23, 1922
Hamilton Jones	October 10, 1917	March 23, 1922
Thomas Llewellyn Jones	August 18, 1919	March 23, 1922
Charles Kilpatrick	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
James Lalor	August 23, 1888	August 11, 1921	Resignation
George Lawson	August 18, 1919	March 23, 1922
Patrick Leahy	July 1, 1912	March 23, 1922
William Lennon	August 18, 1920	March 23, 1922
Henry Llewellyn	October 10, 1917	March 23, 1922
Lewis McDonald	October 10, 1917	March 23, 1922
Frank McDonnell	July 3, 1907	March 23, 1922
Charles McGhie	May 4, 1904	January 21, 1917	Death
Herbert McPhail	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Charles Marks	November 28, 1888	March 23, 1922
Edward David Miles	July 5, 1902	March 23, 1922
Berkeley Basil Moreton	July 15, 1901	March 23, 1922
Robert Mulvey	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Peter Murphy	May 4, 1904	March 23, 1922
Thomas Nevitt	October 12, 1917	March 23, 1922
Charles Nielson	September 14, 1907	March 23, 1922
Timothy O'Shea	July 3, 1914	March 23, 1922
Gerald Page-Hanify	October 10, 1917	February 11, 1922	Death
Arthur Parnell	March 3, 1908	March 23, 1922
Isidore Perel	October 10, 1917	March 23, 1922
Edmund Plant	June 8, 1905	March 23, 1922
Ernest Purnell	October 12, 1917	March 23, 1922
Jim Riordan	October 10, 1917	March 23, 1922
Alexander Skirving	August 18, 1919	March 23, 1922
John Gordon Smith	February 19, 1920	June 19, 1921	Death
William Stephens	July 1, 1912	March 23, 1922
Ernest James Stevens	April 6, 1899	September 7, 1920	Retired[1]
Richard Sumner	October 10, 1917	March 23, 1922
William Taylor	April 17, 1886	March 23, 1922
George Thompson	February 19, 1920	March 23, 1922
Andrew Joseph Thynne	January 26, 1882	March 23, 1922
Henry Turner	July 3, 1907	March 23, 1922
Arthur Whittingham	July 1, 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. "No title.". The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939) (Brisbane, Qld.: National Library of Australia). 25 September 1920. p. 23. Retrieved 26 December 2013.

• 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)