Thomas Bakhap

Thomas Jerome Kingston Bakhap (29 October 1866 – 18 August 1923) was an Australian politician. He was born in Ballarat, Victoria, the adoptive son of a Chinese immigrant, Bak Hap.[1] He received no formal education but became a shopworker, and was later a tin miner at Lottah, Tasmania. In 1909, he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Bass.[2] In 1913, he transferred to federal politics, winning a Tasmanian Senate seat as a member of the Commonwealth Liberal Party. He was Chairman of Committees from July 1920 to June 1923.[3] Bakhap died in August 1923; John Hayes was appointed to replace him.[4] Bakhap was fluent in Cantonese. He advocated for the Chinese community when Chinese Australians encountered problems arising from the application of the White Australia Policy. He visited China in 1922[5] as a representative of the Australian government, and by that time was recognised as the parliament's pre-eminent expert in Chinese and South-East Asian affairs.[6]

Thomas Bakhap
Senator for Tasmania
In office
1 July 1913  18 August 1923
Succeeded byJohn Hayes
Personal details
Born(1866-10-29)29 October 1866
Ballaarat, Victoria
Died18 August 1923(1923-08-18) (aged 56)
Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Political partyLiberal (1913–17)
Nationalist (1917–23)
OccupationPolitician

References

  1. National Museum of Australia: Harvest of Endurance Scroll – Thomas Jerome Bakhap profile, nma.gov.au. Accessed 3 August 2023.
  2. "Thomas Jerome Kingston Bakhap". Members of the Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  3. "Appendix 3―Deputy Presidents and Chairmen of Committees (1901–2009)". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  4. Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  5. The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins, James Jupp, Cambridge University Press, 2001
  6. Rubinstein, Hilary (2000). "Bakhap, Thomas Jerome Kingston (1866–1923)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
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