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](_blank)
– 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.
See also
* Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council
Following are lists of members of the Western Australian Legislative Council:
Prior to responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the fo ...
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)