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Charles Latham

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Sir Charles Latham
Latham in the 1940s
10th President of the Western Australian Legislative Council
In office
7 July 1958 – 21 May 1960
Preceded byAnthony Loton
Succeeded byLeslie Diver
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
In office
22 May 1950 – 21 May 1960
Preceded byLes Logan
Succeeded byNorm Baxter
ConstituencyCentral Province
In office
14 December 1946 – 21 May 1950
Preceded byVernon Hamersley
Succeeded byElectorate abolished
ConstituencyEast Province
8th Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia
In office
25 April 1933 – 7 October 1942
MonarchsGeorge V
Edward VIII
George VI
DeputyNorbert Keenan
Ross McDonald
Lieutenant-GovernorJohn Northmore (1931–1933)[a]
Preceded byPhilip Collier
Succeeded byArthur Watts
Leader of the Country Party in Western Australia
In office
17 April 1930 – 7 October 1942
DeputyJohn Lindsay
Percy Ferguson
Preceded byAlec Thomson
Succeeded byArthur Watts
Deputy Leader of the Country Party in Western Australia
In office
21 November 1928 – 17 April 1930
LeaderAlec Thomson
Preceded byBertie Johnston
Succeeded byJohn Lindsay
Ministerial positions
Minister for Agriculture
In office
3 January 1952 – 23 February 1953
PremierRoss McLarty
Preceded byGarnet Wood
Succeeded byErnest Hoar
Minister for Lands
In office
24 April 1930 – 24 April 1933
PremierJames Mitchell
Preceded byFrank Troy
Succeeded byFrank Troy
Minister for Immigration
In office
24 April 1930 – 24 April 1933
PremierJames Mitchell
Preceded byFrank Troy
Succeeded byFrank Troy
Minister for Health
In office
24 April 1930 – 24 April 1933
PremierJames Mitchell
Preceded bySelby Munsie
Succeeded bySelby Munsie
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for York
In office
12 March 1921 – 7 October 1942
Preceded byHarry Griffiths
Succeeded byCharles Perkins
Federal politics
Senator for Western Australia
In office
8 October 1942 – 20 August 1943
Preceded byBertie Johnston
Succeeded byDorothy Tangney
Personal details
Born
Charles George Latham

26 January 1882
Hythe, Kent, England, UK
Died27 August 1968(1968-08-27) (aged 86)
South Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Resting placeKarrakatta Cemetery, Perth, Western Australia
Citizenship
NationalityEnglish Australian
Political partyCountry
Spouse
Marie Louisa von Allwörden
(m. 1903)
Children2
Residence(s)Hythe Farm, East Kumminin, Western Australia
Military service
Allegiance Australia
Branch/service Australian Army
Years of service1916–1919
Rank Sergeant
UnitFirst Australian Imperial Force
Commands16th Battalion
Battles/wars

Sir Charles George Latham (26 January 1882 – 26 August 1968), often shortened to simply C. G. Latham, was an Australian politician,[1] former leader of the opposition in Western Australia and the 10th President of the Western Australian Legislative Council. Latham served over twelve years as leader of the state's Country Party, and over thirty years in the Parliament of Western Australia. Latham also served roughly ten months in the Federal Parliament, as a Senator for Western Australia.

Biography

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Latham was born in Hythe, Kent in England, and became an orphan before the age of 8 when his parents Thomas Latham (a coast guard) and Isabella (née Isum) died. Latham moved to New South Wales in Australia with his siblings in 1890 and married Marie Louisa von Allwörden on 24 June 1903 at Hay in the same state.[1]

In 1910, Latham moved to Western Australia to take up 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of land at East Kumminin (now Narembeen), 286 kilometers (178 mi) east of Perth. In his early farming days, he was unsuccessful, but was not deterred by the 1914 drought and owned 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of land in 1921 when he entered parliament.[1]

In 1916 Latham enlisted in the entirely volunteer-run First Australian Imperial Force and was promoted to the rank of Corporal in January 1917. He was wounded in France in March 1918. Latham was promoted Sergeant in 1919 and was discharged in May of that year.[1]

Political career

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Latham became the Country Party (now National Party) candidate for the Legislative Assembly seat of York in 1921 and became a MLA following this endorsement. Before the First World War Latham was a member of the Bruce Rock Road Board before the war, but upon his return to Australia he became the chairman of the Narembeen Road Board in 1924. In 1930 Latham became the parliamentary leader of the Country Party and fervently rallied for farmers' rights. Later that year he joined the Party with the Nationalist Party and served as deputy Premier of Western Australia under James Mitchell from 1930 to 1933. From 1933 onwards, Latham was the Leader of the Opposition until 1942, when he resigned to fill a vacancy in the Australian Senate but lost the 1943 election.[2] Latham then returned to Parliament in 1946 to serve as a Member of the Legislative Council, became Minister for Agriculture in 1952–53 and retired in 1960, after another two years as the President of the Legislative Council.[1]

Latham died on 26 August 1968 and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.[1][3]

See also

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References

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Notes

  1. ^ Was Administrator of Western Australia from 1931 – 29 June 1932; Lieutenant-Governor until 10 July 1933.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Layman, Lenore. "Latham, Sir Charles George (1882–1968)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  2. ^ Black, David (2004). "LATHAM, Sir Charles George (1882–1968)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  3. ^ Black, David; Bolton, Geoffrey (2001). Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia, Volume One, 1870–1930 (Revised ed.). Parliament House: Parliament of Western Australia. ISBN 0730738140.