Edmund Stephen Roper Piesse (5 January 1900 – 25 August 1952) was an Australian politician who represented

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 ...

in the Senate from 1950 until his death. He was a member of the Country Party. Piesse was born in Katanning,

, the son of Margaret Mary née Chipper and

Arnold Piesse Arnold Edmund Piesse (2 April 1872 – 21 July 1935) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1909 to 1914 and again from 1930 until his death, on both occasions representing the ...

(a state MP). Three of his uncles,

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

, Charles, and

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

, and a first cousin,

Harold Harold may refer to: People * Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Harold (surname), surname in the English language * András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold" Arts a ...

, were also members of parliament in Western Australia. Piesse attended

Guildford Grammar School Guildford Grammar School, informally known as Guildford Grammar, Guildford or GGS, is an independent Anglican coeducational primary and secondary day and boarding school, located in Guildford, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Initial ...

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 ...

, before returning to Katanning as a farmer and grazier. He was also a company director. In 1949 he was elected to the Senate. He held the seat until his death by his own hand in 1952. He gassed himself in his car, at a rifle range near his home of Katanning. His father also died by suicide.

Bill Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

was appointed to replace him.

References

National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian Senate for Western Australia Members of the Australian Senate 1900 births 1952 deaths People educated at Guildford Grammar School People from Katanning, Western Australia Australian politicians who committed suicide 20th-century Australian politicians Suicides in Western Australia Suicides by gas {{Australia-National-politician-stub