Charles Howroyd

Charles Richard Howroyd (25 February 1867 – 10 May 1917) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1909 until 1917, representing the Australian Labor Party until leaving the party in the 1916 Labor split. He was then elected to the Australian House of Representatives at the 1917 federal election, but died only five days later.

Charles Howroyd
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Darwin
In office
5 May 1917 – 10 May 1917
Preceded byKing O'Malley
Succeeded byWilliam Spence
Personal details
Born(1867-02-25)25 February 1867
Yorkshire, England
Died10 May 1917(1917-05-10) (aged 50)
Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLabor (1906–17)
Nationalist (1917)
OccupationStockbroker

Howroyd was born in Dewsbury in Yorkshire, England and was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Wakefield and Turton College in York. He initially migrated to Victoria before going into business as a stock and share broker in Hobart, Tasmania. He lived in the United States for some years before returning to Melbourne and then Launceston, where he lived from 1898 and worked as a commission agent. He was secretary of the Launceston Stock Exchange, founder of the St George's Society in Launceston, a member of the Launceston Hospital board and a justice of the peace. A trade unionist, he was also general secretary of the Railway Employees' Association in Tasmania for five years. He was the secretary of the Federal Protection League from 1900, but was one of the founding members of the Tasmanian branch of the Labor Party when it was established in 1903.[1][2][3][4]

He was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1906 for North Launceston, transferring to the new multi-member seat of Bass in 1909 and topping the poll there in his re-election in 1912. He successfully introduced or was heavily involved in the passage of legislation to introduce workers' compensation legislation in Tasmania, restrict shop opening hours, establish an eight-hour day for train drivers, protect deserted wives and establish hydroelectric works in the state. He did not achieve ministerial rank, but was secretary of the parliamentary party at the time of the 1916 split. He also served as a parliamentary member of the state executive and as president of the Launceston Workers' Political League.[1][5][3]

On 1 November 1916, he was expelled from the Labor caucus during the 1916 Labor split as a result of his support for conscription in World War I.[6] He formally resigned his party membership on 9 January 1917.[7] Having been involved in forming the first National Federation branch in Tasmania, he resigned his state seat on 21 March 1917 to contest the 1917 federal election for the new Nationalist Party of Australia.[8][9]

He won the seat, defeating long-serving Labor member King O'Malley, but died suddenly at his home at Inveresk five days after polling day, making him the shortest-serving member of the Australian House of Representatives in history. His health, never robust, was reported to have suffered badly during the strenuous campaign. He was buried at Carr Villa Memorial Park. The by-election held to replace him was won by fellow Labor defector William Spence, who had been defeated in an attempt to retain the New South Wales Labor seat of Darling for the Nationalists.[10][11]

References
  1. "MR. C. R. HOWROYD (BASS)". Daily Post. II (108). Tasmania, Australia. 7 May 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 7 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "DEATH OF MR. C. R. HOWROYD". The North Western Advocate And The Emu Bay Times. Tasmania, Australia. 11 May 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 7 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Obituary". The Examiner (Tasmania). LXXVI (112). Tasmania, Australia. 11 May 1917. p. 6 (DAILY). Retrieved 7 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "DEATH OF MR HOWROYD". Gippsland Mercury (5, 808). Victoria, Australia. 15 May 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 7 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "THE ELECTED MEMBERS FOR BASS". The Mercury. XCVII (13, 138). Tasmania, Australia. 7 May 1912. p. 5. Retrieved 7 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "CONSCRIPTIONISTS EXPELLED". The Herald (12, 612). Victoria, Australia. 1 November 1916. p. 10. Retrieved 25 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "MR. EARLE AND MR. HOWROYD RESIGN". Daily Post. X (8). Tasmania, Australia. 9 January 1917. p. 5. Retrieved 25 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "NATIONAL FEDERATION". The Examiner (Tasmania). LXXVI (26). Tasmania, Australia. 30 January 1917. p. 6 (DAILY). Retrieved 25 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "TASMANIAN REIGNATIONS. MR. O'MALLEY TO BE OPPOSED". Daily Herald. 8 (2185). South Australia. 22 March 1917. p. 5. Retrieved 25 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 9 November 2008.
  11. "NEWS SUMMARY". Daily Telegraph. XXXVII (114). Tasmania, Australia. 14 May 1917. p. 1. Retrieved 7 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
King O'Malley		 Member for Darwin
1917		 Succeeded by
William Spence
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