Harold William Crommelin (9 April 1903 – 20 May 1998) was an Australian businessman and politician who was a

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

member of the Legislative Assembly of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

from 1956 to 1968, representing the seat of Claremont.

Early life and career

Crommelin was born in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

to Annie Florence (née Loton) and Reginald Crommelin. His maternal grandfather was Sir

William Loton Sir William Thorley Loton (11 June 1838 – 22 October 1924), was an Australian politician. Early life Born at Dilhorne in Staffordshire, England on 11 June 1838,Pat Simpson, 'Loton, Sir William Thorley (1838–1924)', Australian Dictionary of ...

, a member of parliament and

Mayor of Perth __TOC__ The history of the City of Perth, a local government area of Western Australia is defined over three distinct periods: *From 1829 to 1838 — controlled by the Governor of Western Australia *From 1838 to 1858 — controlled by the ''Per ...

. Crommelin attended

Toowoomba Grammar School , motto_translation = Faithful in All Things , city = Toowoomba , state = Queensland , country = Australia , coordinates = , type = Independent, day & boarding , denomination = Non-denominational , established = 18 ...

(in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

) and

Hale School Hale School is an independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Named after the school founded by Bishop Mathew Blagden Hale in 1858, Hale School claims to b ...

, and after leaving school worked as a farmer, eventually purchasing his own property near Pingelly. He later worked as a car salesman and accounting clerk, eventually becoming a partner in a clothing firm. During World War II, his company made

greatcoats A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat that is typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the s ...

for the army. Crommelin was elected to the South Ward of the Claremont Municipal Council in 1953, and would serve as a councillor until 1963.Harold William Crommelin
Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 16 September 2016. At the 1956 state election, Crommelin won the seat of Claremont, defeating two other Liberal candidates. One of those was the incumbent member, Charles North, who had held the seat for 32 years and was also a former

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is a title commonly held by Speaker (politics), presiding officers of parliamentary bodies styled Legislative Assembly, legislative assemblies. The office is most widely used in state and territorial legislatures ...

. Crommelin was re-elected unopposed at the 1959 election and was subsequently made deputy chairman of committees in the Legislative Assembly. He held that position until his retirement at the 1968 election, which coincided with an electoral redistribution that abolished the seat of Claremont. Crommelin died in Perth in May 1998, aged 95. At the time of his death, only one other MP in Western Australia (Sir

Leslie Diver Sir Leslie Charles Diver (4 November 1899 – 4 August 1995) was an Australian politician who served as a Country Party member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1952 to 1974. He was President of the Legislative Council from ...

) had lived to a greater age.''The Western Australian Parliamentary Handbook (Twenty-Third Edition)''
, p. 242. Crommelin had married Peggy Noreen Taylor in 1926, with whom he had two sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crommelin, Bill 1903 births 1998 deaths Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly People educated at Toowoomba Grammar School People educated at Hale School Politicians from Perth, Western Australia Western Australian local councillors