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Charles Harper (newspaper owner)
Encyclopedia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
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Biography
The son of Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
minister the Reverend Charles Harper and Julie Gretchen Harper née Lukin, Charles Harper was born at Nardi, near Toodyay
Toodyay, Western Australia
Toodyay is a town located in the Wheatbelt region in the Avon Valley, 85 km north-east of Perth, Western Australia. Toodyay is connected to Perth via both rail and road.-History:...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. He was educated privately, and eventually farmed at Beverley
Beverley, Western Australia
Beverley is a town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, south-east of the state capital, Perth, between York and Brookton on the Great Southern Highway...
. In 1861 and again in 1864, he explored with other pioneers in the Yilgarn
Yilgarn, Western Australia
The Shire of Yilgarn is a Local Government Area in the Eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia about east of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Southern Cross. The main industries within the Shire are mining and...
district.
Pastoral career
From 1866, he was heavily involved in the pastoral industry. He was a pastoralist in the north-west of the state until 1868, overlanding to GeraldtonGeraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
in 1867 to secure provisions for Roebourne, Western Australia
Roebourne, Western Australia
Roebourne is an old gold rush town in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It is 202 km from Port Hedland and 1,563 km from Perth, the state's capital. It prospered during its gold boom of the late 19th century and was once the biggest settlement between Darwin and Perth...
. From 1868 to 1870, he was involved in the pearling
Pearling in Western Australia
Pearling in Western Australia existed well before European settlement. Coastal dwelling Aborigines had collected and traded pearl shell as well as trepang and tortoise with fishermen from Sulawesi for possibly hundreds of years. After settlement the Aborigines were used as slave labour in the...
industry. He then briefly farmed at Beverley, before returning to the north west in 1871. He went into partnership with McKenzie Grant and Edgar in a de Grey
De Grey, Western Australia
De Grey is a locality in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, around 75 km east of Port Hedland. Also within the locality is the De Grey homestead, and the De Grey River....
sheep station
Sheep station
A sheep station is a large property in Australia or New Zealand whose main activity is the raising of sheep for their wool and meat. In Australia, sheep stations are usually in the south-east or south-west of the country. In New Zealand the Merinos are usually in the high country of the South...
, and was involved in the pearling industry until 1879.
Political career
On 28 March 1878, Harper was elected to the Western Australian Legislative CouncilWestern Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
for the North District seat, in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
occasioned by the resignation of Thomas Burges. He held the seat until the election of 12 March 1880, which he did not contest. On 1 March 1879, he married Fanny de Burgh, thereby becoming brother-in-law to Henry Brockman
Henry Brockman (Australian politician)
Henry Brockman was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 1884 to 1889.Born on 21 June 1845 at Herne Hill, Western Australia, Henry Brockman was the son of William Locke Brockman and Ann Frances Elizabeth née Hamersley, a nephew of Edward Hamersley , and a cousin of Edward ...
and James Morrison. They would have six sons and four daughters.
In 1880, Harper partnered with Alexander McRae
Alexander MacRae
Alexander MacRae was an entrepreneur and clothing manufacturer. Born in Scotland, he emigrated to Australia where in 1914 he founded the company that became the swimwear giant Speedo....
in a pastoral venture on the Ashburton
Ashburton River (Western Australia)
The Ashburton River is located within the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The river rises approximately 100 km south of Newman and flows in a west north westerly direction until discharging into the Indian Ocean approximately 20 km south west of Onslow. The river crosses the North...
. That year he also became a newspaper proprieter for the first time, becoming part owner of the Western Australian Times with John Winthrop Hackett. In 1884 these two men became joint owners of The West Australian
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
.
In 1885 they commenced the publication of the first Western Mail
Western Mail (Western Australia)
The Western Mail, or Western Mail, was the name of two weekly newspapers published in Perth, Western Australia.-West Australian newspapers:...
.
On 27 October 1884, Harper entered parliament for the second time, having won the Legislative Council seat of York. In 1885, he built a house in Guildford, which he named Woodbridge; the house still stands and is now part of the National Trust
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
. In 1887 he was a member of the Agricultural Commission.
Harper held his Legislative Council seat until 21 October 1890, at which time the Legislative Council became fully nominative. He then contested and won the Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
seat of Beverley
Electoral district of Beverley
Beverley was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1890 to 1950.The district was based on the rural town of Beverley lying to the east of Perth...
. From June 1894, he was Father of the House
Father of the House
Father of the House is a term that has by tradition been unofficially bestowed on certain members of some national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the term refers to the oldest member, but in others it refers the longest-serving member.The...
in the Legislative Assembly. In 1895 he opened a school at Guildford, Western Australia
Guildford, Western Australia
Guildford is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 13 km northeast of the city. Its Local Government Area is the City of Swan.-History:Guildford was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permanent fresh water supply...
, which would later be taken over by the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
as Guildford Grammar School
Guildford Grammar School
Guildford Grammar School, informally known as Guildford Grammar, Guildford or GGS, is an independent, day and boarding school for boys situated in Guildford, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
. He was appointed Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Assembly on 24 August 1897, holding the appointment until 2 December 1903, when he took up an appointment as Speaker. He stepped down as Speaker on 28 July 1904, and from his seat on 27 October 1905. In 1905, he was chairman of the Immigration Commission.
Harper died at Woodbridge on 20 April 1912, and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan cemetery in the suburb of Karrakatta in Perth, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, with Robert Creighton. Currently managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, the cemetery attracts more than one million visitors each...
.