Charters Towers Historical Photo Club-Politics and Politicians NQ

"THE MAYOR AND SOME OF THE TEAM"
(Lesley Prideaux photo)

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2 191535 Alderman William Grant Clark, Mayor of Charters Towers, wearing the plaid of the hunting Stewart clan, 1908

2 191535 Alderman William Grant Clark, Mayor of Charters Towers, wearing the plaid of the hunting Stewart clan, 1908 Stock Photo - Alamy Download this stock image: 2 191535 Alderman William Grant Clark, Mayor of Charters Towers, wearing the plaid of the hunting Stewart clan, 1908 - KHHP4C from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.

You're a ChartersTowers local when.....
Glenn Davies
1 December is the anniversary of Andrew (Anderson) Dawson, Member for Charters Towers in the Queensland Parliament from 1893-1901, becoming the first Labor Premier in the world in 1899.
Young Andy Dawson grew up in Charters Towers where he worked as a miner, bullock-driver and newspaper ‘runner’ on Thadeus O’Kane’s Northern Miner. By the time he was nineteen, Dawson had achieved a responsible position as ‘amalgamator’ of one of the gold batteries in Charters Towers. In the mid-1880s, he ‘pushed his parcel’ and followed the gold rush to the Kimberley in Western Australia, but failure brought him back to Charters Towers where on 21 December 1887 he married the widow Caroline Ryan, née Quinn.
During the early 1890s Andrew Dawson became active in politics. In 1893 he was elected along with John Dunsford as one of the two members for Charters Towers. In 1899 he became Premier of the colony of Queensland when he formed the Dawson Labor government.
In 1901, Andrew Dawson was elected as a Queensland Senator at the first national elections and held his seat until 1906. In 1904, Dawson became Federal Minister for Defence when Chris Watson formed the first federal Labor Government. He died in 1910. https://biography.senate.gov.au/andrew-dawson/

(by Glenn Davies)
Charles McDonald moved to Charters Towers in 1888 to start his own business as a watchmaker and jeweller, and became involved with the labour movement. Despite watchmakers and jewellers not being occupationally inclined to unionism, he was accepted as an organiser with the local Mining and Accident Association and became secretary of the Land Nationalisation League. McDonald strengthened his working-class credentials by involvement in such causes as a miners’ strike over change room conditions. In February 1890, he became the first acting secretary of the Charters Towers Republican Association.

The potential for a central body to safeguard the rights of all unionised workers drew McDonald to the Australian Labour Federation (ALF), formed in 1889 and, despite its name, Queensland-oriented. In April 1890, he spoke in public in favour of a new central body at Charters Towers. As President of the Australian Labor Federation in Queensland 1890-92, he organised support for strikers during the shearers’ strike in 1891.

Charles McDonald was known as "Fighting Charlie" or "Fighting Mac" for his vigorous campaigning style. In one campaign, he reportedly rode over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) on bicycle on the rough outback roads of north-western Queensland. In 1893 he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly for the seat of Flinders. In 1901, he successfully stood for the federal seat of Kennedy in the House of Representatives at the first federal election and held the seat continuously until his death in 1925. He was Chairman of Committees 1906-10 and was the first Labor Speaker of the House of Representatives 1910-1913, an office he held again 1914-17.

A noted republican, McDonald did not wear the traditional Speaker’s wig and gown and had the ceremonial mace removed from the table of the House of Representatives. 'The Truth' newspaper published the poem below in 1915:

Who worthily the chair doth fill.
McDonald wants no wig or gown—
His dignity’s sufficient crown.
He rules the House with iron hand—
No tricks or nonsense will he stand.
But members know the game is fair
While Queensland Charlie fills the chair. See less
Comments
David Anthony
I worked for a federal MP for a couple of years in 2000-2002. Charlie Collins’ portrait was right next to the Speakers’ Office entrance. I nodded to Fighting Charlie every day I walked past his portrait.
· Reply · 6 d
Garry Streeton
charlie mac
· Reply · 6 d
Malcolm Macdonald
The Charters Towers Miners Accident Association was a separate association to the Miners Union. It was started in around 1886 by mine managers & owners as a local workers compensation insurance scheme. Members paid a subscription (fortnightly?) & then … See more

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Mr. John McDonald
The Municipal Authority exercises juris
diction over a compact area—one square mile
—in the very heart of the mining district of
Charters Towers. The Municipality is a
true square mile, the intersection of Grill-street.
-« ith Mosman street (the two main streets)
being the centre of the squire. Mr. John
McDonald, no *• a successful mining specu
lator, but then in business as a general mer
chant, had the honor of being the first mayor,
and was chief magistrate for two terms, 18/7
and 1878. The lata Henry Wynd an
Palmer, brother of Sir Arthur Hunter
Palmer, acted in the capacity of Town Clerk
until the election of a permanent officer,
which resulted in the appointment of the late The Northern Mining Register (Charters Towers, Qld. : 1891 - 1892) View title info Thu 24 Dec 1891
Page 20
Mr. J. Millican (Mayor of Charters Towers).

Mr. J. Millican (Mayor of Charters Towers). - The Northern Mining Register (Charters Towers, Qld. : 1891 - 1892) - 24 Dec 1891 MR. JOE MILLICAN, who is now in his second term as Mayor of Charters Towers, was born in Northumberland in 1855, arrived on this field in 1878, and has since remained here. ...

Mr. J. Millican (Mayor of
Charters Towers).
The Northern Mining Register (Charters Towers, Qld. : 1891 - 1892) View title info Thu 24 Dec 1891
Page 20
Mr. J. Millican (Mayor of Charters Towers). Mr. J. Millican (Mayor of
Charters Towers). https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/79315591?searchTerm=Maurice%20Barnette%20Charters%20Towers #

Maurice Barnett

C. J. Fraser (Mayor)
The North Queensland Register (Townsville, Qld. : 1892 - 1905) View title info Wed 17 Apr 1895
Page 40 AT CHARTERS TOWERS.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/79281575?searchTerm=Maurice%20Barnette%20Charters%20Towers

BOB KATTER SNR. FORMR MINISTER FOR ARMY