Wilfrid Simmonds

Wilfrid Mylchreest Simmonds, MBE (19 December 1889 – 2 January 1967) was an Australian butcher, auctioneer, sugar farmer and politician, briefly a Senator for Queensland.

Wilfrid Simmonds
Senator for Queensland
In office
22 February 1950  19 March 1951
Personal details
Born(1889-12-19)19 December 1889
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Died2 January 1967(1967-01-02) (aged 77)
Babinda, Queensland, Australia
Political partyCountry
OccupationSugar grower

Born in Cairns, Queensland, he was educated at Mulgrave before becoming a sugar cane grower. After serving in the military 1917–1919, he sat on Mulgrave Shire Council.[1] He was an unsuccessful Country Party candidate for the division of Kennedy at the 1940[2] and 1943 elections.[3] At the [[1949 Australian federal election|1949 election]], the first to use a single transferable vote under a proportional voting system, he was fourth on the coalition senate ticket and was elected to a short term seat. His term began on 22 February 1950 and was not due to end until 30 June 1952, however a double dissolution was called and his term ended on 19 March 1951. The coalition was defending 7 seats, having won all three seats at the 1946 election, but felt that its prospects of winning 6 of the ten seats at the 1951 election were best if it was only running 6 candidates.[1] As the most junior senator he was dropped from the coalition senate ticket.[4] Simmonds was appointed a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1961.[5]

He died in Babinda in 1967, aged 77.[1]

References

  1. Drinkwater, Derek (2004). "SIMMONDS, Wilfrid Mylchreest (1889–1967)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  2. Carr, Adam. "House of Representatives election 1940: Queensland". Psephos, Adam Carr's election archive. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  3. Carr, Adam. "House of Representatives election 1943: Queensland". Psephos, Adam Carr's election archive. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  4. "Liberal-C.P. Senate team selected". Cairns Post. 31 March 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 18 January 2023 via Trove.
  5. "Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) entry for Wilfred Mylchrest Simmonds". It's an Honour, Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 10 June 1961. Retrieved 18 January 2023. Charities in North Queensland


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.