George Adam Kempton (6 August 1871 – 7 June 1945) was an Australian dentist and politician who served as 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 1926 to 1932, representing
Central Province. He also served three terms as mayor of
Geraldton
Geraldton ( Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth.
At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...
.
Early life
Kempton was born in
Malvern, Victoria, to Anna (née Norman) and Thomas Kempton.
[George Adam Kempton](_blank)
Biographical Register of Members of Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 15 February 2017. He came to Western Australia in 1892, during the
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...
, and prospected for several years in the
Coolgardie and
Lake Carey
Lake Carey is a salt lake located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It was named in 1869 by surveyor John Forrest in company with Tommy Windich, after Thomas Campbell Carey, the government surveyor to whom Forrest had ...
districts. Kempton worked in
Boulder as a storekeeper from 1895 to 1899, and then moved to
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 ...
to work as a dentist's assistant. He gained a diploma in dentistry in 1905, and subsequently practised in the
North-West for three years before moving to
Geraldton
Geraldton ( Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth.
At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...
in 1908.
["FORMER MAYOR'S DEATH"](_blank)
''Geraldton Guardian
The ''Geraldton Guardian'' was established at Geraldton, Western Australia on 1 October 1906 to serve the Victoria and Murchison Districts. It was launched on principles of liberal democracy, state rights, nationalism and British preference.
H ...
'', 9 June 1945.
Politics and later life
Kempton was elected to the
Geraldton Municipal Council in 1910, and later served three terms as the town's mayor – from 1913 to 1915, from 1920 to 1921, and from 1923 to 1924.
He entered parliament at the
1926 Legislative Council election, defeating the sitting
Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the la ...
member,
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...
. Kempton served a single six-year term before Moore reclaimed his seat at the
1932 election.
He subsequently returned to his dentistry practice,
and eventually retired to Perth, dying there in June 1945 (aged 73). Kempton had been married twice, having two children by his first wife and five by his second.
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:Kempton, George
1871 births
1945 deaths
Australian dentists
Mayors of places in Western Australia
Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council
National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia
Politicians from Melbourne
People from Malvern, Victoria
Western Australian local councillors