| John Adamson | |
| Senator for Queensland | |
| Term Start: | 1 July 1920 |
| Term End: | 2 May 1922 |
| Successor: | John MacDonald |
| Constituency Am2: | Maryborough |
| Assembly2: | Queensland Legislative |
| Term Start2: | 18 May 1907 |
| Term End2: | 2 October 1909 |
| Predecessor2: | John Norman |
| Successor2: | Charles Booker |
| Alongside2: | William Mitchell |
| Constituency Am3: | Rockhampton |
| Assembly3: | Queensland Legislative |
| Term Start3: | 25 February 1911 |
| Term End3: | 21 March 1917 |
| Predecessor3: | William Kidston |
| Successor3: | Frank Forde |
| Alongside3: | Kenneth Grant |
| Birth Date: | 1857 2, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Tudhoe, Durham, England |
| Death Place: | Hendra, Queensland, Australia |
| Restingplace: | Toowong Cemetery |
| Birthname: | John Adamson |
| Nationality: | Australian |
| Spouse: | Caroline Jones (m.1884 d.1932) |
| Party: | Labor (1907 - 17) National (state) (1917 - 22) Nationalist (federal) (1917 - 22) |
| Occupation: | Shoemaker, Blacksmith, Religious minister |
John Adamson CBE (18 February 1857 - 2 May 1922) was an English-born Australian politician.[1]
Born in Durham, he received a primary education before becoming a shoemaker, blacksmith and lay preacher. He migrated to Australia in 1878, becoming a Methodist minister in Queensland.[1]
At the 1907 election, Adamson was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland as the Labour member for Maryborough, serving until 2 October 1909 (the 1909 election).[1] [2]
On 25 February 1911, he was elected as the member for Rockhampton, serving until 21 March 1917. He was Secretary for Railways from 1 June 1915 to 2 October 1916. Adamson left the Labor Party in the wake of the 1916 split over conscription, joining the National Party.[1] [2]
In 1919, he was part of the formation of a brief-lived state National Labor Party[3] and then he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Nationalist Senator for Queensland.[4] He served in the Senate from 1 July 1920 until his death on 2 May 1922. Following his death, the Queensland Government (then controlled by the Australian Labor Party) appointed John MacDonald, a Labor member, as his replacement.[2] [5]
Adamson died in 1922 after he fell in front of a train at Hendra railway station. Reports at the time suggested suicide as he had been suffering from illness and depression for some time.[1] [6] He was accorded a state funeral which proceeded from the Albert Street Methodist Church to the Toowong Cemetery.[1] [7] [8]