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James Gardiner (Australian politician)

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article James Gardiner (Australian politician), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 202510 sources
James Gardiner
BornTemplate:Birth date
Papakura, New Zealand
DiedOctober 27, 1928(1928-10-27) (aged 67)
Occupation(s)Politician, auctioneer, accountant
Years active1901–1904, 1914–1921 (politics)
Known forMember of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly; Treasurer of Western Australia; first state leader of the Country Party; Speaker of the Legislative Assembly

James Gardiner (12 June 1861 – 27 October 1928) was a notable figure in Australian politics, serving as a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly during two periods: from 1901 to 1904 and again between 1914 and 1921. He held the position of Treasurer of Western Australia under the leadership of premiers Walter James and Henry Lefroy, became the first state leader of the Country Party from 1914 to 1915, and briefly fulfilled the role of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 1917.

Early life

Gardiner was born in Papakura, New Zealand, before relocating to South Australia in 1865. His education took place in Port Augusta and Saddleworth, but he left school at the age of eleven. Early in his career, he worked for wheat merchants Ernst Siekmann and John Moule (politician), followed by positions at South Australian Carrying Company Limited and other commercial enterprises.

Between 1882 and 1885, Gardiner served as an accountant in Naracoorte and acted as secretary for various local agricultural and sporting organizations. In early 1886, he briefly took on a teaching role at Lochaber, South Australia.

By mid-1886, he had moved to Melbourne, where he worked as an accountant and auctioneer with William Hamilton & Co., a stock and station agency. Around 1893, he launched his own business before joining publishing firm Gordon & Gotch. After gold was discovered in Western Australia, Gardiner was dispatched to Perth in 1895 to open a new branch.

In 1900, he departed from Gordon & Gotch to establish his own auctioneering enterprise, focusing on sales of suburban and rural land. He was an active advocate for land settlement and development initiatives, especially around the Moora district.

Gardiner also played key roles in cricket administration within Western Australia, acting as chairman of the Western Australian Cricket Council from 1897 to 1899 and serving two terms as president of the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA), first from 1906 to 1915 and later from 1917 to 1924.

Western Australian federation

Gardiner contested the 1900 Albany by-election following the resignation of George Leake, but was unsuccessful. He was deeply involved in advancing the cause of the federation of Australia at a time when the Western Australian parliament initially refused to grant its electorate a vote on the proposed Commonwealth constitution, unlike other colonies. Alongside Leake and Walter James, Gardiner spearheaded the 'Bill to the People Petition' advocating for federation. Although this effort was initially overlooked, momentum grew through the 'Separation for Federation' campaign conducted in the goldfields. Opposition arose primarily from sectors such as farming, coal mining, and viticulture, which feared that free trade would negatively impact their local industries. Gardiner and James undertook a campaign in June 1900 aimed at reassuring coal miners in Collie, who eventually endorsed federation on 31 July 1900.

Politics 1901-1904

Gardiner secured election to represent the Albany seat during the 1901 state election. In July 1902, Premier Walter James appointed him as colonial treasurer. Aware that the advent of Federation diminished Western Australia's revenue by eliminating inter-colonial customs duties, Gardiner implemented a five percent levy on dividends paid by companies operating within the state to compensate for these losses.

At the State Treasurers' Conference held in Melbourne in February 1904, Gardiner opposed proposed modifications to customs revenue distribution that would have reduced Western Australia's overall income while favoring other states. He resigned from his parliamentary seat in April 1904 to concentrate on reorganizing his business ventures.

Midland Railway Company

Relieved from his political obligations, Gardiner forged a significant alliance with the Midland Railway Company aimed at advancing land sales. Starting in July 1905, he formulated land sale plans while the company was entangled in disputes with the Western Australian Government concerning pastoral rent and licence fee issues. Through negotiations with Premier Hector Rason, Gardiner succeeded in lifting restrictions on land sales.[1] He continued to champion land development projects up until 1918, including the Improved Farms Scheme which marketed fully prepared farms in areas such as Carnamah, Winchester, and Coorow.[2]

Western Australian Country Party

During his association with Midland Railway, Gardiner attempted a parliamentary comeback by contesting the Irwin seat in October 1911 but was defeated by a Liberal opponent.[3] He became involved with the Farmers and Settlers' Association (FSA) of Western Australia and presided over a 1912 conference that formally endorsed its goals.[4] In March 1913, the FSA launched its political branch as the Western Australian Country Party.[5] Gardiner held a position on the FSA’s executive committee.

The drought of 1914 caused widespread crop failures, yet settlers on Midland Railway lands were excluded from government drought relief payments due to expectations that the company would provide assistance.[6] Utilizing his political connections, Gardiner obtained government advances for seed and supplies from Premier John Scaddan in September of that year.

Gardiner secured election to parliament representing Irwin in October 1914 and became the inaugural parliamentary leader of the Western Australian Country Party.[3] Over time, he increasingly aligned with pro-Labor policies supporting wheatbelt farmers, which drew criticism both from opposition members and within his own party ranks.[7]

A mental health crisis in March 1915 compelled him to step down as party leader; he was succeeded by Francis Willmott[8], who steered the party back toward an anti-Labor stance. Upon returning in June, Gardiner remained politically active while continuing to advocate for Labor-friendly policies. After reestablishing his influence, he was chosen as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in March 1917 following Bertie Johnston’s resignation.[9] Despite difficulties caused by hearing loss, he was appointed colonial treasurer in June within the Lefroy Ministry.[10]

National Country Party

Between 1916 and 1917, country parties from the eastern states moved closer to establishing a unified national organization. Gardiner played a key role in 1917 by orchestrating a coalition in Western Australia that brought together the Country Party, the Liberal Party, and the National Labor Party. This alliance resulted in the formation of the Lefroy coalition government, which included representatives from all three parties. In the September general elections that year, Gardiner secured his seat without opposition as a member of the National Country Party.

In early 1919, Gardiner encountered delays in Melbourne caused by the Spanish influenza outbreak and a maritime workers' strike. The quarantine measures enforced by acting WA premier Hal Colebatch generated tensions, prompting Gardiner to step down from his position as treasurer on 1 April 1919. Despite this resignation, he continued to serve as a backbencher until he ultimately left parliament on 12 March 1921.

Gardiner also played an advisory role in several financial investigations concerning Western Australia. He was interviewed during the 1922 Honorary Royal Commission examining the effects of the Federal compact and later appointed as an advisor to the 1924 Commonwealth Royal Commission that reviewed WA’s finances following Federation.

Death

After enduring a stroke and a subsequent three-year illness, Gardiner passed away on 27 October 1928. His final resting place is at Karrakatta Cemetery.

References

  • Gardiner D. 2001, 'James Gardiner: Politics, Cricket and Land Sales', Early Days, vol. 12, part 1, pp. 47–59.
  • Gardiner D. 2001, Fireworks: The Life of James Gardiner, Westralian Publishers, Perth. .
  • Gardiner D. 2018, Fireworks: The Honourable James Gardiner, 2nd ed., Xmplar, Brisbane. .
  1. ↑ Midland Railway Co., London, Minute Book No. 4, p. 226, MN239/1, 1558A/3-8; Battye Library.
  2. ↑ Carnamah Historical Society & Museum, 'James Gardiner' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named David Black 1997
  4. ↑ Robertson J.R. 1964, 'The First Years of the Western Australian Country Party, 1912-1916', Historical Studies Australia and New Zealand, v. 11, no. 43, pp. 343-360.
  5. ↑ Farmers and Settlers' Association of Western Australia 1913, Report of the Proceedings of the Special Conference Held at the Technical Schools, Perth, 12–14 March, Perth; Battye Library.
  6. ↑ Midland Railway Co., London, Minute Book No. 7, p. 143, MN239/1, 1558A/3-8; Battye Library
  7. ↑ Robertson J.R. 1958, 'The Scaddan Government and the Conscription Crisis 1911-17: Aspects of Western Australia's Political History, MA thesis, University of Western Australia, Perth.
  8. ↑ Francis Willmott
  9. ↑ Western Australian Parliamentary Debates, 1917, v. 54, pp. 2019-2020.
  10. ↑ Western Australian Parliamentary Debates, 1917, v. 56.

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