Jim Page (politician)

James Page (1861 – 3 June 1921) was an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1901 until his death, representing the electorate of Maranoa.

Jim Page
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Maranoa
In office
30 March 1901 – 3 June 1921
Preceded byNew seat
Succeeded byJames Hunter
Personal details
Born1861
London, England
Died3 June 1921 (aged 59–60)
Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia
NationalityEnglish Australian
Political partyAustralian Labor Party
OccupationRailway worker, unionist

Early life

Page was born in London, England, and was raised and educated in a Barnardo's Home. He joined the British Army, serving from 1877 to 1883, and fighting as a gunner in the Royal Artillery in the Anglo-Zulu War, seeing action in the Battle of Rorke's Drift, and then again serving in the First Boer War. He "bought himself out of" the army after his war service and undertook casual work such as bricklaying, before migrating to Queensland in the 1880s on the ship Scottish Hero, arriving in Rockhampton with little to his name.[1][2][3]

In Queensland, Page worked odd jobs such as fencer, navvy, bush carpenter and bricklayer, as a ganger on the Queensland Central Railway, and as overseer of works for the Barcaldine Divisional Board. He is occasionally reported as having been a shearer, and some form of union leader during the 1891 shearers strike, but that appears to be incorrect.[4][5][6][7] He became the proprietor of the Welcome Home Hotel in Barcaldine in 1893, but gave up that lease in 1897 and took over the Exchange Hotel, which he operated until his election to parliament.[8][9][10][11] He was Provincial Grand Master of the Rockhampton District and later Queensland Grand Master of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was a Past Master of the Barcaldine Masonic Lodge.[12][3]

Politics

In 1901, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in the first federal election, winning the Queensland rural seat of Maranoa for the Labor Party. He held the position of party whip from 1913. He held the seat until his death in 1921.[13][14]

In later years, Page "disposed of his western interests" and lived for several years in Brisbane. He had reportedly had "some months of painful illness" in 1920, including an eye condition that left him facing possible blindness. Page died in his bed in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, on 3 June 1921; although he had been ill the previous year, he had been active in the House as late as the previous day and his death was sudden and unexpected.[15][12] His funeral was held at St John's Cathedral in Brisbane, and he was buried in Toowong Cemetery.[16][17]

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References
  1. "THE MEMBER FOR MARANOA". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, Qld. 27 July 1909. p. 7. Retrieved 8 June 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "CAREER OF "JIM" PAGE". Barrier Miner. XXXIV (10, 165). New South Wales, Australia. 8 June 1921. p. 1. Retrieved 8 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Death of Jim Page". Worker. 32 (1570). Queensland, Australia. 9 June 1921. p. 4. Retrieved 8 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Death of Hon. James Page". Balonne Beacon. XV (24). Queensland. 11 June 1921. p. 2. Retrieved 18 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Barcaldine Divisional Board". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. III (56). Queensland. 14 February 1893. p. 7. Retrieved 18 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ""JIM" PAGE, M.H.R." The World. VI (134). Tasmania. 7 June 1921. p. 2. Retrieved 18 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "PAGE WAS NOT A SHEARERS LEADER". The Daily Standard (2630). Queensland. 6 June 1921. p. 5. Retrieved 18 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Advertising". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. V (115). Queensland. 3 April 1894. p. 11. Retrieved 18 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Advertising". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. III (65). Queensland. 18 April 1893. p. 3. Retrieved 18 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "Sensational Insolvency". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. IV (83). Queensland, Australia. 22 August 1893. p. 8. Retrieved 18 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Advertising". The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts. XI (269). Queensland. 16 March 1897. p. 4. Retrieved 18 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "THE LATE JIM PAGE". The Evening Telegraph (6063). Queensland, Australia. 8 June 1921. p. 2. Retrieved 8 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Archived from the original on 20 July 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  14. "The Death of Jim Page". Labor Call. XV (764). Victoria, Australia. 9 June 1921. p. 5. Retrieved 8 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "LATE JAMES PAGE". Daily Herald. XII (3501). South Australia. 8 June 1921. p. 4. Retrieved 19 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. Page James Archived 3 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine — Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  17. "Family Notices". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 11 June 1921. p. 6. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
Parliament of Australia
New seat Member for Maranoa
1901–1921		 Succeeded by
James Hunter
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