James Cornell | |
|---|---|
.png) James Cornell at Government House, 1926 | |
| 7thPresident of theLegislative Council ofWestern Australia | |
| In office 25 July 1946 – 25 November 1946 | |
| Preceded by | SirJohn Kirwan |
| Succeeded by | Harold Seddon |
| Member of theLegislative Council ofWestern Australia | |
| In office 22 May 1912 – 25 November 1946 | |
| Preceded by | John Glowrey |
| Succeeded by | Robert Boylen |
| Constituency | South Province |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1874-12-23)23 December 1874 |
| Died | 25 November 1946(1946-11-25) (aged 71) Claremont,Western Australia, Australia |
| Political party | Labor (to 1917) National Labor (1917–1924) Nationalist (1924–1945) Liberal (from 1945) |
James Cornell (23 December 1874 – 25 November 1946) was an Australian politician who served as a member of theLegislative Council ofWestern Australia from 1912 until his death. He was electedPresident of the Legislative Council in July 1946, but served just four months before dying in office.
Cornell was born inMerrijig,Victoria, to Barbara Jane (née Brown) and Henry Cornell. He came to Western Australia in 1897, initially working as a station hand at alease on theAshburton River. In 1900, Cornell moved to theEastern Goldfields, working as a miner, labourer, and iron worker's assistant inBoulder. He became involved with the trade union movement, and eventually became an official of the regionaltrades and labour council.[1]
Cornell was elected to the Legislative Council in 1912, representingSouth Province. He stood as a candidate of theLabor Party, but left the party in early 1917 overthe conscription issue. Cornell played a key role in the formation of the state branch of theNational Labor Party, which subsequently supported theNationalist government ofHenry Lefroy. In March 1917, he enlisted in theAustralian Imperial Force. He was stationed in France, and by the end of the war held the rank ofsergeant.[1]
In May 1918, while on active duty, Cornell won re-election to the Legislative Council standing as a National Labor candidate against an endorsed Labor candidate.[2] He was elected president of the National Labor state branch in 1921,[3] and was re-elected to parliament under that banner in 1924, although the final margin was only 18 votes.[4] The party was merged into theNationalist Party in late 1924, with the new entity initially known as the United Party, although it later returned to the Nationalist name.[5]
In September 1926, Cornell was appointed chairman of the committees in the Legislative Council. He held the position until July 1946, when he was elevated to the presidency of the council in place of SirJohn Kirwan. In the meantime, he had been re-elected to parliament three times as a Nationalist, in 1930, 1936, and 1942, and joined the newLiberal Party in 1945.[1] Cornell died in office in November 1946, aged 71, and was granted a state funeral.[6] He had married twice, to Mary Ann Daws in 1909 and to Florence Evelyn Bruce in 1940. His only child wasGeorge Cornell, who was also a member of parliament.[1]
| Parliament of Western Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forSouth Province 1912-1946 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by SirJohn Kirwan | President of the Western Australian Legislative Council 1946 | Succeeded by |