Charles Farquharson Baxter (20 May 1874 – 2 March 1950) was an Australian politician who was a Country Party member of the Legislative Council 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 1914 until his death. He was a minister in the governments of

Henry Lefroy Sir Henry Bruce Lefroy (24 March 1854 – 19 March 1930) was the eleventh Premier of Western Australia. Biography Lefroy was born in Perth, Western Australia on 24 March 1854. His father was Anthony O'Grady Lefroy, Colonial Treasurer of Wes ...

, Hal Colebatch, and James Mitchell.

Early life

Baxter was born in Croxton East,

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

(near

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

), to Mary (née Barnes) and Patrick Duncan Baxter. He came to Western Australia in 1896, initially working as a butcher in Albany. He later worked as a telegraph linesman, an agent for a bicycle company, and as the director of an insurance company. Baxter eventually purchased a farming property near

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

.Charles Farquharson Baxter
– Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 26 June 2016.

Politics

Baxter first attempted to enter parliament at the 1911 state election, but was defeated by Frederick Monger in the seat of York. At the 1914 Legislative Council elections, he was elected to East Province for the Country Party, replacing the retiring Thomas Wilding. He would be re-elected in 1920, 1926, 1932, 1938, and 1946, on each occasion unopposed. In June 1917, when Henry Lefroy replaced Frank Wilson as premier, Baxter was made a minister without portfolio in his government. He was made Minister for Agriculture in April 1919, when Hal Colebatch became premier, but Colebatch's government lasted less than a month before James Mitchell replaced him as leader of the Nationalist Party (and thus premier). Baxter was again made a minister without portfolio under Mitchell, serving in that capacity until the 1921 state election. He returned to the ministry after the 1930 election, as Minister for Country Water Supplies and Minister for Trading Concerns. When

Norbert Keenan Sir Norbert Michael Keenan QC (30 January 1864 – 24 April 1954) was an Australian lawyer and politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1905 to 1911 and again from 1930 to 1950. He was the leader of the ...

resigned from the ministry in late 1931, Baxter was also made Chief Secretary. He held his three portfolios until the defeat of Mitchell's government at the 1933 election. Baxter remained in parliament until his death in Perth in March 1950, aged 75."RECORD IN POLITICS"
''

The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, '' The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuous ...

'', 3 March 1950. He had married Jessica Minnie Millsom in 1896, with whom he had five children. One of his sons, Norman Eric Baxter, won the by-election occasioned by his death, and later also became a government minister. His oldest daughter Dorothy became a arial Acrobat on the early biplanes and later married WW1 ace Paul McGuinness who later started Qantas.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baxter, Charles 1874 births 1950 deaths Australian farmers National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council People from Victoria (Australia)

Early life

Politics

See also

References