Harry Jackson (23 July 1873 – 1 July 1951) was an Australian politician who represented the

South Australian House of Assembly The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide. Overview The House of Assembly was creat ...

seats of

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

from 1906 to 1915 and Port Pirie from 1915 to 1918. He represented the

United Labor Party The South Australian Labor Party, officially known as the Australian Labor Party (South Australian Branch) and commonly referred to simply as South Australian Labor, is the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party, originally formed ...

until the 1917 Labor split, when he was expelled and joined the splinter National Party. He served as

Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly The Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly is the presiding officer of the South Australian House of Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of South Australia. The other presiding officer is the President of the South Australian Le ...

from 1911 to 1912. Jackson was born at

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

in England, and migrated to Australia in 1893. Prior to entering politics, he worked in the smelters at Port Pirie. He was involved a number of labour organisations at Port Pirie, was a member of the local hospital committee, and served on the Corporate Town of Port Pirie council for two years. He was elected to the House of Assembly for the United Labor Party at the 1906 state election, following an unsuccessful candidacy in 1905. He became chairman of committees following the 1910 election. On 17 November 1911, he replaced conservative

Jenkin Coles Sir Jenkin Coles (19 January 1843 – 6 December 1911) was a South Australian politician. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1875 to 1878 and 1881 to 1911, representing the electorates of Light (1875–78, 1881–190 ...

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

; he would hold the role until the defeat of the

Verran Verran is a former municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1901 until its dissolution in 2020 when it was divided between Steinkjer Municipality and Indre Fosen Municipality. It was part of the Innherred region ...

Labor government at the 1912 election. He was re-elected in the Stanley electorate in 1910 and 1912, and after an electoral redistribution in 1915 shifted, unopposed, to the electorate of Port Pirie. Labor returned to government under Crawford Vaughan in 1915, and Jackson was appointed Commissioner for Public Works in the Vaughan ministry. Along with the rest of the Cabinet, Jackson left the Labor Party for the new National Party in the 1917 Labor split over conscription. The ministry initially continued in minority government, but was ousted by the opposition Liberal Union in July. The National Party became the junior coalition partner in the new Liberal ministry under

Archibald Peake Archibald Henry Peake (15 January 1859 – 6 April 1920) was an Australian politician. He was Premier of South Australia on three occasions: from 1909 to 1910 for the Liberal and Democratic Union, and from 1912 to 1915 and 1917 to 1920 for its ...

, and Jackson was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration. However, he was defeated by a Labor candidate at the 1918 election. After leaving politics, he was manager of the coal gantries at Port Pirie. He was subsequently chairman of the South Australian Fire Brigade Board for twenty years, and was chairman of the Tattersalls Club from 1940, holding both roles until his death. Jackson died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1951 at the age of 74; his family declined a state funeral, and he was buried at Centennial Park Cemetery. Upon his death, the Tattersalls Club renamed their main horse race the "Harry Jackson Handicap" in his honour. He was survived by his wife, one son, and a granddaughter; a second son had died in an accident at the age of 11.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Harry Members of the South Australian House of Assembly Speakers of the South Australian House of Assembly