Vernon Hamersley
Encyclopedia
Vernon Hamersley served the longest term ever as a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
.
, Western Australia
. The son of Samuel Hamersley
, he was a member of the prominent and well-connected Hamersley family
. His grandfather was Edward Hamersley (Snr)
; among his uncles was Edward Hamersley (Jnr)
and Maitland Brown
; and he was related by blood or marriage to many prominent Western Australians including John Forrest
and William Locke Brockman
.
Vernon Hamersley was educated at Guildford Grammar School
, before continuing his studies in England
at the Magdalen College
School at Oxford
, and the Downton Agricultural College at Salisbury
. He returned to Western Australia in 1889, spending some time on the Eastern goldfields
, before farming with his father at York
until 1895. On the death of his grandfather in 1874, he inherited the station Hasely in Toodyay
, which he developed as a farm and stud. He also became a part owner of Mount Barnett cattle station in the Kimberley
. In 1895, he married Clara Hicks.
Hamersley first became active in public life in 1899, becoming a member of the Toodyay Road Board
. He would later become its chairman before retiring his membership in 1906. In 1900 he became a Justice of the Peace
, and the following year he unsuccessfully contested the Legislative Assembly
seat of Toodyay
as an independent.
On 5 August 1904, Vernon Hamersley won the Legislative Council
seat of East Province in a by-election
following the death of Edward Keane. He would be returned to the seat in the next six elections, holding the seat until his death. He joined the Liberal Party in 1911.
Hamersley won the May 1916 election by a single vote. Upon a recount, both Hamersley and his opponent, Michael McCabe of the Country Party, had attained 1,651 votes each, and Hamersley was elected on the casting vote
of the Returning Officer. McCabe then petitioned the Court of Disputed Returns against Hamersley's election, with the result that the election was declared null and void. Hamersley appealed to the full court, but the appeal was dismissed. A by-election was subsequently held on 2 September 1916, with Hamersley winning re-election on a significantly higher turnout.
After 1920, Hamersley held his seat for the Country Party
, and from April 1921 he was Father of the House
. He died at West Perth
on 24 October 1946. His term of 42 years, 2 months and 19 days remains the longest ever term as a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council.
Western 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...
.
Life and career
Vernon Hamersley was born in GuildfordGuildford, 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...
, 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...
. The son of Samuel Hamersley
Samuel Hamersley
Samuel Richard Hamersley was a Western Australian pastoralist, and a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council for six years....
, he was a member of the prominent and well-connected Hamersley family
Hamersley family
The Hamersley family were a wealthy and well-connected family of early settlers in the colony of Western Australia. Members of the Hamersley family emigrated to Western Australia from England in 1837.Prominent members and connections of the family include:...
. His grandfather was Edward Hamersley (Snr)
Edward Hamersley (Snr)
Edward Hamersley was an early settler in colonial Western Australia. He became a successful and wealthy pastoralist, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council. The Hamersley family became one of the most prominent families in the colony.Edward Hamersley was born at Sandgate,...
; among his uncles was Edward Hamersley (Jnr)
Edward Hamersley (Jnr)
Edward Hamersley was a Western Australian pastoralist, and a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council for nearly ten years....
and Maitland Brown
Maitland Brown
Maitland Brown was an explorer, politician and pastoralist in colonial Western Australia. He is best remembered as the leader of the La Grange expedition, which searched for and recovered the bodies of three white settlers murdered by Indigenous Australians, and subsequently killed a number of...
; and he was related by blood or marriage to many prominent Western Australians including John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
and William Locke Brockman
William Locke Brockman
William Locke Brockman was an early settler in Western Australia, who became a leading pastoralist and stock breeder, and a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council....
.
Vernon Hamersley was educated at 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....
, before continuing his studies in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
School at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, and the Downton Agricultural College at Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. He returned to Western Australia in 1889, spending some time on the Eastern goldfields
Eastern Goldfields
The Eastern Goldfields is a figurative area used in speech to describe a region of Western Australia.-Name:The name is derived in two parts from, Eastern in relation to its location from Perth and Goldfields as the name suggests comes from the mining of Gold in the region...
, before farming with his father at York
York, Western Australia
York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated 97 km east of Perth in the Avon Valley near Northam, and is the seat of the Shire of York...
until 1895. On the death of his grandfather in 1874, he inherited the station Hasely in 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:...
, which he developed as a farm and stud. He also became a part owner of Mount Barnett cattle station in the Kimberley
Kimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
. In 1895, he married Clara Hicks.
Hamersley first became active in public life in 1899, becoming a member of the Toodyay Road Board
Shire of Toodyay
The Shire of Toodyay is a Local Government Area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, beyond the north-eastern limits of the Perth metropolitan area. The Shire covers an area of , and its seat of government is the town of Toodyay.-History:...
. He would later become its chairman before retiring his membership in 1906. In 1900 he became a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, and the following year he unsuccessfully contested 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 Toodyay
Electoral district of Toodyay
Toodyay was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1890 to 1977.The district was based on the town of Toodyay lying to the north-east of Perth. It was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election.The district was...
as an independent.
On 5 August 1904, Vernon Hamersley won the Legislative Council
Western 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...
seat of East Province 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....
following the death of Edward Keane. He would be returned to the seat in the next six elections, holding the seat until his death. He joined the Liberal Party in 1911.
Hamersley won the May 1916 election by a single vote. Upon a recount, both Hamersley and his opponent, Michael McCabe of the Country Party, had attained 1,651 votes each, and Hamersley was elected on the casting vote
Casting vote
A casting vote is a vote given to the presiding officer of a council or legislative body to resolve a deadlock and which can be exercised only when such a deadlock exists...
of the Returning Officer. McCabe then petitioned the Court of Disputed Returns against Hamersley's election, with the result that the election was declared null and void. Hamersley appealed to the full court, but the appeal was dismissed. A by-election was subsequently held on 2 September 1916, with Hamersley winning re-election on a significantly higher turnout.
After 1920, Hamersley held his seat for the Country Party
National Party of Western Australia
The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity....
, and from April 1921 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...
. He died at West Perth
West Perth, Western Australia
West Perth is an inner suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. It is part of the inner mixed zone, and has predominantly office blocks which have displaced residential buildings. There is a high proportion of miners and consultants, and particularly medical specialists, compared to...
on 24 October 1946. His term of 42 years, 2 months and 19 days remains the longest ever term as a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council.