Walter Parsons (politician) explained

Walter Parsons
Constituency Mp:Angas
Parliament:Australian
Predecessor:Moses Gabb
Successor:Moses Gabb
Term Start:14 November 1925
Term End:12 October 1929
Birth Date:1881 8, df=yes
Birth Place:Adelaide, South Australia
Nationality:Australian
Party:Nationalist Party of Australia
Occupation:Shopkeeper

Walter Langdon Parsons (16 August 1881 – 2 March 1955) was an Australian politician.

Parsons was born at North Adelaide, the son of politician John Langdon Parsons and half-brother of Herbert Angas Parsons.[1] [2] He was educated at Queen's School, Angaston Public School and Whinham College. He worked for D & W Murray Limited from 1898, and in 1906 became a storekeeper in Gladstone, operating the Gladstone branch of F. C. Catt Specialty Stores. He renamed the store the W. L. Parsons Stores in 1912.[3] In local government, Parsons was mayor of the Corporate Town of Gladstone from 1914 to 1916.[4] He attempted to enlist for World War I service on 1 November 1918, but was deferred at the recruiting depot.[5]

Parsons sold his Gladstone stores in 1919 and became a citrus grower at Paradise. In January 1922, he bought E. J. Woodroffe's store in Kadina, and operated it as W. Parsons & Co. until closing the business in December 1925 upon his election to parliament.[6] [7] He moved to Haldon Gardens (now in Kensington Park) by 1925, and served as a District Council of Burnside councillor for the Kensington Park Ward. Parsons was also a lay reader of the Anglican Church for over 20 years, a member of the standing committees of the Willochra and later Adelaide dioceses, and a vice-president of the Demobilised Soldiers' Association.

In 1925, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Nationalist member for Angas, defeating sitting Labor MP Moses Gabb.[8] He held the seat until his defeat by Gabb in 1929, whereupon he became an insurance agent. Parsons died in 1955.[9]

Notes and References

  1. News: MR. W. L. PARSONS. . . LIX . 6827 . South Australia . 24 June 1925 . 6 January 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  2. parsons-john-langdon-7966 . Parsons, John Langdon (1837–1903) . 6 January 2017.
  3. News: Advertising . . XXXV . 2,259 . South Australia . 26 July 1912 . 6 January 2017 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  4. Book: The Official civic record of South Australia : centenary year, 1936 . Universal Publicity Company . Hosking, P. . 1936 . Adelaide . 596.
  5. News: Untitled . . XLI . 2,577 . South Australia . 8 November 1918 . 6 January 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  6. News: Advertising . . LVI . 5897 . South Australia . 25 January 1922 . 6 January 2017 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  7. News: Advertising . . LIX . 6872 . South Australia . 23 December 1925 . 6 January 2017 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: MR. GABB BEATEN. . . LXVI . 12,282 . Queensland, Australia . 24 November 1925 . 6 January 2017 . 5 (DAILY.) . National Library of Australia.
  9. Web site: Carr. Adam. Australian Election Archive. Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. 2008. 2008-11-09.