James Stevingstone Kerr (1889Family history research
— Queensland Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 26 March 2016. – 15 September 1960) was a

clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

and 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 h ...

Biography

Kerr was born at

Rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. True rosewoods All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated ...

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 , establishe ...

, to parents John Kerr and his wife Mary (née Caldwell). He was educated at

Brisbane Normal School , motto_translation = Knowledge is Power , city = South Brisbane , state = Queensland , country = Australia , coordinates = , type = Public, selective, co-educational, secondary, ...

and Brisbane Grammar School. He was the head office clerk at

Queensland Railways Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Queensland Government, it operates local and long-distance passenger services, as well as owning and maintaining approximately 6,600 kilometres of track and relate ...

and in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he was a Captain with the 26th Battalion. On his return to Australia he became the State Secretary of the

Returned Services League The Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) is a support organisation for people who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force. Mission The RSL's mission is to ensure that programs are in place for the well-being, care ...

. On 20 April 1922 he married Marjorie Atkinson (died 1946) and together had one son and one daughter. He died in Toowoomba in 1960.

Political career

Kerr, at first a member of the Nationalist Party, won the seat of Enoggera in 1920, defeating the sitting

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

member, William Lloyd. He held the seat until his defeat in

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hiro ...

by the Labor Party's George Taylor. During his time in parliament he was also a member of the United Party and the CPNP.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, James Stevingstone Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 1889 births 1960 deaths 20th-century Australian politicians National Party (Queensland, 1917) members of the Parliament of Queensland