Thomas William Bouchard (8 October 1865 – 2 November 1943) was a

solicitor A solicitor is a legal practitioner who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally-defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and ...

and a member of the

Queensland Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly ...

Early life

Bouchard was born in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, to parents Josiah Bouchard and his wife Eliza Ann (née Arrowsmith).Family history research
— Queensland Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 26 May 2015. After attending South Brisbane State School and also being privately educated, he became an

articled clerk Articled clerk is a title used in Commonwealth countries for one who is studying to be an accountant or a lawyer. In doing so, they are put under the supervision of someone already in the profession, now usually for two years, but previously thre ...

at age 14, working for Peter MacPherson from 1879 until 1892. Admitted as a solicitor in 1892, he soon after went into partnership with F. Holland to form Bouchard & Holland, Solicitors.

Political career

First entering politics as an alderman on the

South Brisbane Municipal Council The City of South Brisbane was a local government area on the southern side of the Brisbane River, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1888 and existed until 1925 when it was amalgamated into the City of Brisbane. History When the T ...

, Bouchard entered

Queensland Parliament The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. As provided under the Constitution of Queensland, the Parliament consists of the Monarch of Australia and the Legislative Assembly. It has been the only unicameral s ...

as a Ministerialist at the 1904 state election, winning the seat of Brisbane South. He held the seat for four years but was defeated in a close-run contest in

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

. The following year, the people of Queensland went to the polls for the third successive year, and Bouchard won back his seat of South Brisbane and held it until he declined to stand at the 1915 state election. During his public career he was also the Commissioner for the South Brisbane Technical College and School of Arts.

Sporting career

Bouchard was a keen

lawn bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...

player, being one of Queensland's best known champions and an interstate representative. He was president of the South Brisbane Bowling Club in 1906–1907T. W. Bouchard
—

State Library of Queensland The State Library of Queensland is the main reference and research library provided to the people of the State of Queensland, Australia, by the state government. Its legislative basis is provided by the Queensland Libraries Act 1988. It contai ...

. Retrieved 26 May 2015. and went on to be president of the Queensland Bowling Association.

Personal life

In 1891, Bouchard married Jessie Margaret Hill (died 1937) in Brisbane and together had one daughter. Reinhold died in Brisbane in November 1943. His funeral moved from his former residence at Beaconsfield St, Highgate Hill, to the

Mount Thompson Crematorium Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens and Crematorium (formerly Brisbane Crematorium) includes a heritage-listed chapel (the West Chapel), columbaria and other features. It is located on north-western slopes of Mount Thompson in Brisbane, Australia. ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bouchard, Thomas Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 1865 births 1943 deaths Politicians from Brisbane