Thomas Dunstan

The Honourable Thomas Dunstan
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Gympie
In office 22 May 1915 – 11 May 1929
Preceded by	George Mackay
Succeeded by	Vivian Tozer
In office 11 May 1935 – 29 Apr 1950
Preceded by	Vivian Tozer
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Nash
In office 29 Apr 1950 – 7 Mar 1953
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Greg Kehoe
Personal details
Born	Thomas Dunstan 20 April 1873 Thames, New Zealand
Died	19 June 1954 (aged 81) Gympie, Queensland, Australia
Resting place	Gympie Cemetery
Nationality	New Zealander Australian
Political party	ALP
Spouse(s)	Mary Lydement (m.1901 d.1952)
Occupation	Journalist
Religion	Church of England

Thomas Dunstan (20 April 1873 – 19 June 1954) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.^[1]

Early life

Dunstan was born at Thames, New Zealand, the son of Nicholas John Dunstan and his wife Esther Mary Ann (née Connon).^[1] His brothers were George and William Dunstan.^[2] He was educated at Thames State School and the One Mile State School in Gympie. On leaving School he was an apprentice with The Gympie Times newspaper before joining the Gympie Truth as a reporter, secretary, and canvasser. In 1901, he was promoted to editor-manager of the Truth and held this position for the next 41 years and in 1943 was the editor of the Labor Leader.^[1]

On 27 February 1901 he married Agatha Turner^[1] (died 1952)^[3] and together they had five sons and two daughters. Dunstan died at Gympie in June 1954^[1] and was accorded a state funeral which proceeded from St Peter's Church of England in Gympie^[1] to the Gympie Cemetery.^[4]

Public life

Dunstan, a member of the Labor Party, won the seat of Gympie in 1915, defeating the Ministerial candidate and sitting member, George Mackay.^[1] Mackay later went on to have a successful career in the federal parliament. Dunstan held the seat until 1929 when he was defeated by Vivian Tozer of the CPNP.^[5]

He contested Gympie at the 1932 state elections once again losing to Tozer.^[6] In 1935 however, Dunstan won back the seat^[7] and went on to represent it until it was abolished in 1950. He then contested and won the new electorate of Nash, and holding it until he retired from politics three years later at 80 years of age.^[1]

During his parliamentary career he held the following roles:

• Temporary Chairman of Committees 1920–1924
• Temporary Chairman of Committees 1939–1949
• Secretary for Public Lands 1925–1929
• Minister without Office 1925–1925

References

1. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
2. "Deaths". The Advertiser. 20 March 1908. p. 4. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
3. Family history research — Queensland Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
4. Gympie Cemetery Mapping Portal — Gympie Cemetery Trust. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
5. "POLLING SUMMARY.". The Brisbane Courier (22,243) (Queensland, Australia). 13 May 1929. p. 17. Retrieved 15 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "COUNTRY.". The Brisbane Courier (23,204) (Queensland, Australia). 13 June 1932. p. 15. Retrieved 15 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "HOW QUEENSLAND SEATS WERE WON". Sunday Mail (624) (Queensland, Australia). 12 May 1935. p. 2. Retrieved 15 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.