Walter Cooper (politician)

The Honourable Sir Walter Cooper MBE
Senator for Queensland
In office 17 November 1928 – 30 June 1932
In office 1 July 1935 – 30 June 1968
Personal details
Born	23 April 1888 Cheetham, Manchester, England
Died	22 July 1973 (aged 85) Greenslopes, Queensland
Nationality	English Australian
Political party	Australian Country Party
Spouse(s)	Louie Dorothy Marion Crick
Occupation	Soldier, landowner

Sir Walter Jackson Cooper, MBE (23 April 1888 – 22 July 1973) was a long-serving Australian politician.

Cooper was born in Cheetham, Manchester and educated at Bedford School and Wyggeston Boys' School, Leicester. He migrated to Western Australia in 1910 and later moved to Brisbane, Queensland. In 1914, he established a property at Middleton, 200 km west of Winton. During World War I, he enlisted in the first Australian Imperial Force and served at Gallipoli and Egypt. In June 1916, he transferred to France and was wounded at the Battle of Mouquet Farm, requiring the amputation of a leg. In February 1918, he married Louie Dorothy Marion Crick. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1919 and demobilised in 1921. He later joined the Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Imperial League of Australia (RSL).^[1]

Political career

Cooper with Queen Elizabeth II in 1954

Cooper was elected a Senator for Queensland at the 1928 election, representing the Country Party. He was defeated at the 1931 election, his term ending in June 1932. He was re-elected to the Senate at the 1934 election, his new term starting on 1 July 1935. From 1947 to 1949, he was leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Following the election of the Menzies government at the 1949 election, he led the Country Party in the Senate. In 1949, he was appointed Minister for Repatriation and held that position until he resigned from the ministry in 1960. In this position he worked closely with the RSL. He was knighted in 1959 and retired from parliament in June 1968.^[1] From 1965 until his retirement, Cooper was the Father of the Senate.

Cooper died at Repatriation General Hospital in the Brisbane suburb of Greenslopes, survived by his wife. They had no children.^[1]

Notes

1. Cribb, Margaret Bridson (1993). "Cooper, Sir Walter Jackson (1888–1973)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 15 January 2008.

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