Electoral district of Wide Bay

Wide Bay
Queensland—Legislative Assembly
StateQueensland
Created1859
Abolished1950
NamesakeWide Bay–Burnett

Wide Bay was a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Queensland.

History

Wide Bay was one of the 16 original electorates of 1859; it centred on Maryborough but also included the coastal strip from the Mooloolah River, north to Bustard Head near Gladstone. However, in 1864, the Electoral district of Maryborough was established and the Wide Bay electorate contracted towards the south of Maryborough but still include the rural areas around Maryborough. Initially Wide Bay was a single member constituency, but from 1878 to 1888 it became a two-member constituency, after which it reverted to a single member. In the 1949 redistribution, taking effect in 1950, Wide Bay was abolished, being split up between the Electoral district of Marodian and the Electoral district of Nash.[1]

1871

In the 1871 election held on 13 July, the sitting member for Wide Bay, Henry King, decided to contest the electoral district of Maryborough instead of Wide Bay. King supported the nomination of Horace Tozer for Wide Bay, amidst allegations that Tozer was just a "warming pan" intended to hold the seat as a protection against King failing to win Maryborough.[2] Tozer was elected in Wide Bay but King's bid for Maryborough failed. The allegations of Tozer being a "warming pan" proved true as Tozer promptly resigned, recommending that the electors of Wide Bay should elect King at the subsequent by-election.[3] King's nomination was unopposed and he was declared elected on 4 October 1871.[4][5]

1898

On 2 March 1898, Horace Tozer resigned his seat in order to be appointed as Agent-General for Queensland.[6] Charles Jenkinson was elected in the subsequent by-election.[7]

Members

The electorate was represented by the following members:[8]

Member Party Term
  Gilbert Eliott none   4 May 1860 – 12 Aug 1870
  Henry King none 12 Aug 1870 – 13 Jul 1871
  Horace Tozer [a] Ministerial 13 Jul 1871 – 23 Sep 1871
  Henry King none   4 Oct 1871 – 12 Nov 1873 Two members 1878–1888
  William Bailey none 12 Nov 1873 – 17 May 1888 Member 2 Party Term
  Thomas Price none 23 Nov 1878 – 7 Sep 1883
  Matthew Mellor none   7 Sep 1883 – 4 May 1888
  Horace Tozer [b] Ministerial 17 May 1888 – 2 Mar 1898
  Charles Jenkinson [by] Opposition 19 Mar 1898 – 11 Mar 1902
  George Lindley Ministerial 11 Mar 1902 – 18 May 1907
  Harry Walker Opposition 18 May 1907 –   4 Feb 1908
  Liberal   5 Feb 1908 – 27 Apr 1912
  Charles Booker Liberal 27 Apr 1912 – 16 Mar 1918
  Andrew Thompson Labor 16 Mar 1918 –   9 Oct 1920
  Harry Clayton [d] Country   9 Oct 1920 – 30 Dec 1946
  James Heading Country   3 May 1947 – 29 Apr 1950
[a] "warming pan", resigned to make way for Henry Edward King
[b] resigned to become Agent-General for Queensland
[by] won in by-election
[d] died in office

See also

References

  1. ^ "Representatives of Queensland State Electorates 1860-2017" (PDF). Queensland Parliamentary Record 2012-2017: The 55th Parliament. Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  2. ^ "MARYBOROUGH". The Queenslander. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 8 July 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  3. ^ "POLITICS AT GYMPIE". The Queenslander. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 5 August 1871. p. 9. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  4. ^ "GYMPIE". The Queenslander. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 7 October 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  5. ^ "QUEENSLAND". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 9 November 1871. p. 7. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  6. ^ "SIR HORACE TOZER". The Brisbane Courier. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 11 February 1898. p. 6. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  7. ^ "THE WIDE BAY ELECTION". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 21 March 1898. p. 7. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Part 2.15 – Alphabetical Register of Members of the Legislative Assembly 1860–2017 and the Legislative Council 1860–1922" (PDF). Queensland Parliamentary Record 2015–2017: The 55th Parliament. Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)