Harry Arthur Fletcher (28 May 1910 – 17 October 1990) 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 1959 to 1977, representing the seat of Fremantle. Fletcher was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, but 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 is ...

with his parents as an infant. After leaving school, he worked a variety of odd jobs, and travelled around the state, spending time in the

Goldfields Goldfield or Goldfields may refer to: Places * Goldfield, Arizona, the former name of Youngberg, Arizona, a populated place in the United States * Goldfield, Colorado, a community in the United States * Goldfield, Iowa, a city in the United State ...

, the

Mid West The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

(in Meekatharra), and the

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a ...

(on

Koolan Island Koolan Island is an island off the Kimberley coast of Western Australia in the Buccaneer Archipelago. It is about north of Perth, and about north of Derby. It hosts deposits of high-grade iron ore. Description The island is approximately i ...

). Fletcher enlisted in 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 ...

in July 1941, and during the war served on HMAS ''Bungaree'' and HMAS ''Paterson'' as an engine room artificer. He returned to Perth after the war's end, initially working as a fitter at the

Midland Railway Workshops The Midland Railway Workshops in Midland, Western Australia, were the main workshops for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) for over 80 years. History The first railway workshops in Western Australia were located at Fremantle an ...

, and then later at the

East Perth East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sunrise, Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from ...

and

South Fremantle Power Station The South Fremantle Power Station is a former oil- and coal-fired power station located in North Coogee, Western Australia. The now disused building is listed on the Western Australian State Register of Heritage Places. The building is of Art D ...

s.Harry Arthur Fletcher
– Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 21 May 2016. A

shop steward A union representative, union steward, or shop steward is an employee of an organization or company who represents and defends the interests of their fellow employees as a labor union member and official. Rank-and-file members of the union hold ...

for the

Amalgamated Engineering Union The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) was a major United Kingdom, British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992. History ...

and a long-time member of the Labor Party, Fletcher was elected to parliament at the 1959 state election, replacing the retiring

Joseph Sleeman Joseph Bertram Sleeman (21 June 1885 – 6 July 1970) was an Australian politician who was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1924 to 1959, representing the seat of Fremantle. He served as Speaker of th ...

. He served as deputy chairman of committees from 1972 to 1973, in the government of

John Tonkin John Trezise Tonkin AC (2 February 1902 – 20 October 1995), popularly known as "Honest John", was an Australian politician. A member of the Labor Party, he served as a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for a record 44 ...

, and retired at the 1977 election.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Harry 1910 births 1990 deaths Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia Royal Australian Navy personnel of World War II Trade unionists from Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly Politicians from Melbourne Royal Australian Navy sailors 20th-century Australian politicians Politicians from Perth, Western Australia Military personnel from Western Australia