John Adamson (Queensland politician)

John Adamson CBE (18 February 1857 – 2 May 1922) was an English-born Australian politician.[1]

John Adamson
Senator for Queensland
In office
1 July 1920 – 2 May 1922
Succeeded byJohn MacDonald
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Maryborough
In office
18 May 1907 – 2 October 1909
Serving with William Mitchell
Preceded byJohn Norman
Succeeded byCharles Booker
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Rockhampton
In office
25 February 1911 – 21 March 1917
Serving with Kenneth Grant
Preceded byWilliam Kidston
Succeeded byFrank Forde
Personal details
Born
John Adamson

(1857-02-18)18 February 1857
Tudhoe, Durham, England
Died2 May 1922(1922-05-02) (aged 65)
Hendra, Queensland, Australia
Resting placeToowong Cemetery
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLabor (1907–17)
National (state) (1917–22)
Nationalist (federal) (1917–22)
SpouseCaroline Jones (m.1884 d.1932)
OccupationShoemaker, Blacksmith, Religious minister

Early life

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Born in Durham, he received a primary education before becoming a shoemaker, blacksmith and lay preacher. He migrated to Australia in 1878, becoming a Methodist minister in Queensland.[1]

Politics

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At the 1907 election, Adamson was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland as the Labour member for Maryborough, serving until 2 October 1909 (the 1909 election).[1][2]

On 25 February 1911, he was elected as the member for Rockhampton, serving until 21 March 1917. He was Secretary for Railways from 1 June 1915 to 2 October 1916. Adamson left the Labor Party in the wake of the 1916 split over conscription, joining the National Party.[1][2]

In 1919, he was part of the formation of a brief-lived state National Labor Party[3] and then he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Nationalist Senator for Queensland.[4] He served in the Senate from 1 July 1920 until his death on 2 May 1922. Following his death, the Queensland Government (then controlled by the Australian Labor Party) appointed John MacDonald, a Labor member, as his replacement.[2][5]

Death

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Adamson died in 1922 after he fell in front of a train at Hendra railway station. Reports at the time suggested suicide as he had been suffering from illness and depression for some time.[1][6] He was accorded a state funeral which proceeded from the Albert Street Methodist Church to the Toowong Cemetery.[1][7][8]

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  • "Adamson, John (1857-1922)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Adamson, John (1857–1922)Australian Dictionary of Biography
  2. ^ a b c "Part 2.15 – Alphabetical Register of Members of the Legislative Assembly 1860–2017 and the Legislative Council 1860–1922" (PDF). Queensland Parliamentary Record 2015–2017: The 55th Parliament. Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "20 Oct 1919 - THE DAILY MIRROR". Trove. 20 October 1919. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  4. ^ 1919 Queensland Senate Election — Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive
  5. ^ Adamson Index of Senate appointments 1901-2003 — Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive
  6. ^ "TRAGIC DEATH". The Brisbane Courier. 3 May 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 13 February 2015 – via Trove.
  7. ^ "Family Notices". The Brisbane Courier. 4 May 1922. p. 6. Retrieved 13 February 2015 – via Trove.
  8. ^ "Adamson, John". Grave Location Search. Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.

 

Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Member for Maryborough
1907–1909
Served alongside: William Mitchell
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member for Rockhampton
1911–1917
Served alongside: Kenneth Grant
Succeeded by