John Henry “Harry” Coyne (16 January 186512 June 1926) was an Australian politician who served as a

Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly This is a list of members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, the state parliament of Queensland, sorted by parliament. See also * Queensland Legislative Assembly electoral districts This is a list of current and former electoral div ...

for the

Electoral district of Warrego Warrego is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. The electorate lies in the extreme southwest of Queensland, running along the western part of the border with New South Wales. It includes the ...

from 1908 until 1923.

Early life

John Henry Coyne was born on 16 January 1865 in

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 ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, the son of John Henry Coyne and his wife Margaret (née Ryan). He left school at 16 and took up fencing, shearing, woolpressing, and many other professions. After finding his feet, he moved to Eulo, Queensland in 1890. He then married Mary Elizabeth Gordon (née Heath), a widow and had six children with her.

Politics

Harry Coyne was elected to 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 ...

at the 1908 election in the

electoral district of Warrego Warrego is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. The electorate lies in the extreme southwest of Queensland, running along the western part of the border with New South Wales. It includes the ...

. He held the seat until he retired on 31 July 1923. During that period, he was Chairman of Committees from 15 July 1915 to 12 October 1916, Secretary for Railways from 13 October 1916 to 30 April 1918, Secretary for Public Lands from 22 October 1919 to 12 November 1920, briefly Minister without Office from 12 November 1920 to 16 December 1920, and then again Secretary for Public Lands from 16 December 1920 to 2 July 1923. Harry Coyne was the chairman of a number of subcommittees of the

Queensland War Council The Queensland War Council (1915–1932) was established by the Queensland Government to co-ordinate Queensland's assistance to World War I soldiers and their dependents. History The Queensland Government established the Queensland War Council on ...

including those concerned with Anzac Cottage Trust and the commemoration of

Anzac Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...

. He was also involved in the construction of

Anzac Avenue Anzac Avenue is a heritage-listed major arterial road lined with trees in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. It runs from Petrie to Redcliffe, with most of the route signed as state route 71. The route was formerly the main ro ...

to Redcliffe.

Later life

On 7 June 1926, Harry Coyne was the passenger in a taxi that hit an electric light pole outside the Excelsior Hotel in Flinders Street,

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

; he was found lying in the street unconscious and was taken by ambulance to hospital where he was found to have a fractured skull. Without having recovered consciousness, Harry Coyne died on 12 June 1926 surrounded by his family. The taxi driver Otto Korn was also hospitalised but survived. Harry Coyne was accorded the honour of a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

which was held at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church on the corner of Ann Street and

Edward Street, Brisbane Edward Street is a busy thoroughfare in the Brisbane central business district, Queensland, Australia. It is a one-way street located between Albert Street and Creek Street, and runs from Upper Edward Street to Alice Street. It is named ...

, on 16 June 1926, after which he was buried in

Toowong Cemetery Toowong Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery on the corner of Frederick Street and Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1866 and formally opened in 1875. It is Queensland's largest cemet ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coyne, Harry Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 1865 births 1926 deaths Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Queensland