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]	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
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

• 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)