Charles William Donald Barker (14 August 1904 – 18 July 1956) was an
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
politician who was a
Labor 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 1952 until his death, representing
North Province.
Barker was born in
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 ...
, England, and came to Western Australia at the age of 17, working as a
station hand in the
North-West. He served with the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
during World War II. On his return to Australia, he ran a café in
Broome for a period, and then worked in
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...
as a stock inspector. Barker entered parliament at the 1952 Legislative Council elections, defeating the sitting
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
member,
Mervyn Forrest
Robert Mervyn Forrest (28 April 1891 – 22 August 1975) was an Australian pastoralist and politician who served as a Liberal Party member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1946 to 1952, representing North Province.
Early l ...
, by just five votes. He died in office in July 1956, aged 51. In parliament, he was known for his concern for Aboriginal welfare, and he and his wife (who had no children of their own) often put up visiting Aboriginal students from the North-West at their home 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 i ...
.
Late Hon. C. W. D. Barker, M.L.C. (condolence motion)
, Hansard (Legislative Council of Western Australia), 7 August 1956.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Don
1904 births
1956 deaths
Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia
Royal Australian Navy personnel of World War II
British emigrants to Australia
Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council
People from York
20th-century Australian politicians