James Michael Beerworth (22 April 1884 – 11 March 1959) was a

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

n Labor Party politician.

History

Beerworth was the third son of William Carl Beerworth (ca.1848 – 10 May 1913) and his wife Mary Beerworth, née McInerney (20 October 1844 – 15 July 1921), later of

Kooringa Burra is a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia. It lies east of the Clare Valley in the Bald Hills range, part of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, and on Burra Creek. The town began as a single company ...

. They had a farm some north of

Carrieton Carrieton is a small town situated in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. It is located between the towns of Orroroo to the south and Cradock to the north. Originally opened in 1877 as Yanyarrie Whim, (Yanyarrie is in the local indigenou ...

, in the Hundred of Boolcunda. Beerworth joined the

South Australian Police South Australia Police (SAPOL) is the police force of the Australian state of South Australia. SAPOL is an independent statutory agency of the Government of South Australia directed by the Commissioner of Police, who reports to the Minister for ...

force in 1911, serving until 1925, when bought the Pastoral Hotel in

Port Augusta Port Augusta is a small city in South Australia. Formerly a port, seaport, it is now a road traffic and Junction (rail), railway junction city mainly located on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf immediately south of the gulf's head and about ...

in 1925. He was elected unopposed to the

Corporate Town of Port Augusta West The Corporate Town of Port Augusta West was a local government area in South Australia centred on the suburb of Port Augusta West. It was gazetted on 6 October 1887. They met in council chambers in Loudon Road, which ceased to be used by its ...

council in 1926 for the Ebenezer ward, and continued on that council, serving as mayor from 1928 to 1930. It was amalgamated into the

Corporate Town of Port Augusta The City of Port Augusta is a local government area located at the northern end of Spencer Gulf in South Australia. It is centred on the town of Port Augusta. The city was the site of South Australia's main power supplier, the Port Augusta p ...

in 1932, and Beerworth was elected the first mayor of the enlarged Port Augusta municipality, retaining that position until 1935, when he was succeeded by

Lindsay Riches Lindsay Gordon Riches, CMG (18 February 1904 – 7 June 1972) was a South Australian politician. He was a Labor Party member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1933 to 1970, representing the electorates of Newcastle (1933-1938) and ...

. Beerworth stood unsuccessfully as an Australian Labor Party candidate for a Northern district seat on the

South Australian Legislative Council The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly. It sits in Parli ...

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

, then in

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

was elected to the seat of

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

in the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...

. At the following election, in

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

, he and

Charles Leonard Davis Charles Leonard Davis (14 February 1884 – 27 January 1959) was an Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Port Pirie in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1947 to 1959. He had previously been the mayor of the City of Po ...

were Labor candidates for the Northern district seat on the Legislative Council, but were beaten by

Liberal and Country League 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 ...

(LCL) candidates

Lyell McEwin Sir Alexander Lyell McEwin, KBE (29 May 1897 – 23 September 1988), always known as "Lyell McEwin" was a politician in South Australia. History Lyell McEwin was born in the Hundred of Hart, the youngest son of Alexander Lyell McEwin (1862 – ...

and George Ritchie. Another seat in the same district became vacant when H. G. Hawkins died in 1939, and Beerworth won the resulting by-election. He held the seat until

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

, when he stood for re-election but was defeated. Longtime residents of

, the Beerworths left for Adelaide in 1950.

Family

James' brother,

Fred Beerworth Frederick Hubert Beerworth (6 May 1886 – 17 May 1968) was an Australian politician. Born in Quorn, South Australia, he received a primary education before becoming a farmer at Carrieton. He was a railway worker and engine driver before serving ...

, was a federal Senator for South Australia from 1946 to 1951. Beerworth married Jean Murphy, of 'The Pines,' Bendleby on 11 August 1915. Their only daughter Moryah married Jack Curtis Fullerton of Port Augusta sometime around 1940.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beerworth, James Michael Members of the South Australian House of Assembly Members of the South Australian Legislative Council Mayors of places in South Australia Australian hoteliers 1884 births 1959 deaths 20th-century Australian politicians