Frederick James Withers (11 April 1881 – 20 May 1963) was an Australian politician who was a
Labor Party 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 1924 to 1947, representing the
seat of Bunbury. He was later
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of the
City of Bunbury
The City of Bunbury is a local government area in the South West region of Western Australia, covering an area of along the coast about south of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The City of Bunbury is one of four local governments comp ...
from 1951 to 1955.
Withers was born in
Bunbury to Esther (née Blythe) and Edward Henry Withers. After leaving school, he worked with
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) was the operator of railway services in the state of Western Australia between October 1890 and June 2003. Owned by the state government, it was renamed a number of times to reflect extra responsi ...
, as a
fireman
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
and later as an engine driver.
[Frederick James Withers](_blank)
– Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 23 May 2016. An official of the Engine Drivers' Union and a long-time member of the Labor Party, Withers was elected to parliament at the
1924 state election, defeating the sitting
Nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
member,
Griffin Money.
After Labor's victory at the
1933 election, he was appointed deputy chairman of committees in the government of
Philip Collier
Philip Collier (21 April 1873 – 18 October 1948) was an Australian politician who served as the 14th Premier of Western Australia from 1924 to 1930 and from 1933 to 1936. He was leader of the Labor Party from 1917 to 1936, and is Western Au ...
, a position which he retained until his retirement at the
1947 election. In 1950, Withers attempted to return to parliament through the
Legislative Council, but was defeated by 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,
Les Craig
Leslie "Les" Craig CMG (23 November 1892 – 9 February 1966) was an Australian politician who was a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1934 to 1956, representing South-West Province.
Craig was born in York, a town i ...
. He was elected mayor of Bunbury the following year, and served until 1955. Withers died in Bunbury in 1963, aged 82. The Bunbury suburb of
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...
is named after him. His son,
Reg Withers
Reginald Greive Withers (26 October 1924 – 15 November 2014) was a long-serving member of the Australian Senate, a government minister, and Lord Mayor of Perth.
Early life
Withers was born in Bunbury, Western Australia. Withers was the son o ...
, was a senator and
Lord Mayor of Perth.
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Withers, Frederick
1881 births
1963 deaths
Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia
Australian people in rail transport
Mayors of Bunbury, Western Australia
Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
People from Bunbury, Western Australia
Trade unionists from Western Australia
20th-century Australian politicians