John Church (politician)
John Henry Church | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Braintree, Essex, England |
| Died | 7 August 1937 (aged 78) |
| Occupation(s) | Pastoralist, politician |
| Years active | 1883–1937 |
| Known for | Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly (1932–1933) |
John Henry Church (8 April 1859 – 7 August 1937) was an Australian pastoralist and politician who represented the Nationalist Party in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1932 to 1933, serving the electoral district of Roebourne.
Early life and assault incident
Church was born in Braintree, Essex, England, and emigrated to Western Australia in 1883. He resided in Perth until 1889 before relocating to the North West region. There, he worked as a jackaroo at Chirritta and Hamersley Stations and engaged in pearling and mining ventures. By 1898, he had secured the lease for Woodbrook Station near Roebourne.
In early 1899, Church was found guilty of assaulting an Aboriginal shepherd with a stockwhip and was fined one shilling, asserting it was an act of self-defence. The shepherd, employed as a stockman, received a two-month sentence with hard labour for failing to perform duties that resulted in sheep losses. The case drew significant media scrutiny; The Sunday Times described the verdict as a "travesty of justice," while Sydney's The Evening News criticized the penalties imposed.
Later years and political career
In 1903, Church took over the lease of Mount Florence Station near Wittenoom, maintaining ownership until his passing. In 1918, together with his three brothers—Thomas, Percy, and Arthur Stove—he subleased Cooya Pooya Station through the Harding River Pastoral Company. They obtained full leasing rights in 1925 and subsequently purchased Daniels Well Station close to Roebourne. The partnership ended in 1939; Church retained Daniels Well while the Stove brothers kept Cooya Pooya. He played an active role in the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of Western Australia from its founding in 1907, including serving as its president, and also held a directorship at a meat exporting company.
Beginning in the early twentieth century, Church held several terms on the Tableland Roads Board (currently part of the Shire of Ashburton). Although considered for state political office as early as 1903, his electoral success came following the death of Nationalist MP Frederick Teesdale in 1931. During the pivotal 1932 Roebourne by-election—significant for maintaining Sir James Mitchell's government's majority—Church stood as one of two Nationalist candidates. He secured victory with 56.4 percent of the two-candidate-preferred vote against independent candidate Harold Cornish. At 72 years old, he set a record as the oldest individual elected for the first time to the Legislative Assembly. His parliamentary service was short-lived; he was defeated by Labor's Aloysius Rodoreda in the 1933 state election.
After leaving politics, Church retired to Perth where he passed away in August 1937 at age 78. He married Blanche Eveline Single in 1901, and they had one daughter.