James Robert Jewell (15 October 1869 – 14 May 1949) was an Australian politician. He was a Labor Party member of the
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne.
The presiding ...
from 1910 to 1949, representing the electorate of Brunswick. He was the party whip from 1924 to 1949.
Jewell railway station
Jewell railway station is located on the Upfield line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the northern Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, and it opened on 9 September 1884 as South Brunswick. It was renamed Jewell on 1 February 1954.Upfield railway line
The Upfield railway line is a commuter rail service operating between Flinders Street in the Melbourne central business district through Melbourne's northern suburbs including West Melbourne, North Melbourne, Parkville, Brunswick, Coburg, Cobu ...
was renamed in his honour.
Jewell was born in Smithfield West, South Australia, the child of a miner father and schoolteacher mother. His family later moved to
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 ...
. He was employed by a butcher from 1885 to 1888, was briefly a gold miner at Whittlesea, and then worked for the New Northcote Brick Company to 1891. He worked for a butchering firm from 1891 to 1894, as a steam engine driver for L. B. Coulsell from 1894 to 1895, spent two months working for a
Bendigo
Bendigo ( ) is a city in Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital.
As of 2019, Bendigo had an urban population of 100,991, makin ...
smallgoodsman, and then worked as an agent for W. C. Angliss & Company to 1900. He later opened a butchers shop in Brunswick, expanding to three, but reducing to one after the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. He was elected to the
City of Brunswick
The City of Brunswick was a local government area in the inner-northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprised the suburbs of Brunswick, Brunswick East and West Brunswick. It ceased to exist on 22 June 1994, when its council ...
council in 1905, serving until 1914, and was mayor from 1908 to 1909.
Jewell was elected to the Legislative Assembly at a 1910 by-election following the resignation of
Frank Anstey
Francis George Anstey (18 August 186531 October 1940) was an Australian politician and writer. He served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1910 to 1934, representing the Labor Party. He was Minister for Health and Minister for ...
to enter federal politics. He soundly defeated incumbent mayor and former MLA
Frederick Hickford
Frederick Thomas Hickford (5 November 1862 – 15 May 1929) was an Australian politician, member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
Born in Brunswick, Victoria, to signwriter James Hickford and Mary Ann Dowman, he attended Melbourne Uni ...
, who had stood for the conservative Ministerialists. In a 1914 speech reflecting on his early years, he spoke of his advocacy for reforming the state's treatment of neglected children, opposed the creation of the
Country Roads Board
The Country Roads Board was a government authority responsible for the construction and maintenance of main roads in the state of Victoria, Australia between 1913 and 1983.
History
The Country Roads Board (CRB) was formed to take over responsi ...
, and mentioned that he had taken an active part in the opening of a technical school at Brunswick. Jewell opposed conscription during World War I. He appeared for the tramway workers in the industrial courts during the 1923 Melbourne tram strike. He was appointed party whip in 1924, and held that role both in government and in opposition until his death.
Jewell was never seriously challenged for re-election throughout his 39-year career in the Assembly, although he was opposed a number of times. In 1946, he was presented with an inscribed whip as tribute for his service at a ceremony attended by members of all parties, but was too ill to attend. The Argus referred to attendees as referring to Jewell as "the man who has never been heard to say a hard word about anyone" and "the most popular man in the House."
Jewell died in office on 14 May 1949, after having reportedly been in "indifferent health" for several years. He was buried at
Coburg Cemetery
Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery is located in the northern Melbourne suburb of Preston, Victoria, Preston, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The main entrance is on Bell Street, Preston. The Cemetery is managed by Greater Metropolitan Cemete ...
.
On 1 February 1954, the former South Brunswick railway station was renamed