John McInnes (23 April 1878 – 30 September 1950) was an Australian politician. He was a member of 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 ...

from 1918 to 1950, representing the electorates of West Torrens (1918–1938) and Hindmarsh (1938–1950). He was a member of the Labor Party throughout his career, apart from 1931 to 1934, when he represented the splinter

Parliamentary Labor Party The Parliamentary Labor Party (also known as the Premiers' Plan Labor Party or Ministerial Labor Party) was a political party active in South Australia from August 1931 until June 1934. The party came into existence as a result of intense dispu ...

. 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 1924 to 1926. McInnes was born in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and moved to

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 ...

as a child. He was the inaugural secretary of the South Australian Government General Workers' Association from 1905 to 1911. He also became president of the

United Trades and Labour Council of South Australia SA Unions (originally the United Trades and Labour Council of South Australia) is the peak body for trade unions in South Australia. It coordinates political, social, economic, and industrial campaigns between its affiliate members and implements ...

in 1908. McInnes was then general secretary of the Liquor Trades Employees Union from 1914 to 1924. He also served as president of the

West Torrens Football Club West Torrens Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) from 1897 to 1990. In 1991, the club merged with neighbouring Woodville Football Club to form the Woodville ...

for several years from 1917. Later, he served as state president of the Labor Party from 1927 to 1929 and mayor of the

Town of Hindmarsh The Town of Hindmarsh was a local government area in South Australia from 1874 to 1993, encompassing on the inner north west Adelaide suburbs of Hindmarsh, Bowden and Brompton. History The Corporation of the Town of Hindmarsh was proclaimed o ...

from 1933 to 1939. He died at home in

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 1950, only months after his retirement from parliament. He was accorded a state funeral.

References

Members of the South Australian House of Assembly Speakers of the South Australian House of Assembly 1878 births 1950 deaths British emigrants to Australia {{Australia-politician-stub