Charles Keyser
Encyclopedia
Charles Christopher Keyser (6 December 1871–30 October 1965) was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
from 1904 to 1905.
Born at a timber station in the Vasse
, Charles Keyser was the son of American timber contractor and master builder Charles Donat Keyser. Apprenticed in the printing trade, he followed a variety of professions in his youth. On 21 April 1898, he married Lucy Sanderson in Ballarat
, Victoria
. They went on to have three sons and five daughters.
In 1898, Keyser was appointed assistant to the Town Clerk at Albany
, serving as acting Town Clerk in 1901. Keyser became active in the Labour movement, joining the Labor party
and helping to form an Albany branch of the Political Labour League. At the June 1904 election, he was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
seat of Albany
. He held the seat until the election of 27 October 1905, when he was defeated by Edward Barnett.
From 1906 to 1911, Keyser was secretary of the Greenbushes
Road Board. He was then Town Clerk for Wagin
until 1929, during which time he unsuccessfully contested the Legislative Assembly seat of Wagin
at the 1917 election
. He was secretary of the Murray Road Board from 1929 until his retirement in 1935. He then moved to Victoria, dying at Bentleigh
on 30 October 1965.
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....
from 1904 to 1905.
Born at a timber station in the Vasse
Vasse, Western Australia
Vasse is a town in the South West region of Western Australia, west of the town of Busselton and southwest of Perth. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Busselton...
, Charles Keyser was the son of American timber contractor and master builder Charles Donat Keyser. Apprenticed in the printing trade, he followed a variety of professions in his youth. On 21 April 1898, he married Lucy Sanderson in Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. They went on to have three sons and five daughters.
In 1898, Keyser was appointed assistant to the Town Clerk at Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
, serving as acting Town Clerk in 1901. Keyser became active in the Labour movement, joining the Labor party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
and helping to form an Albany branch of the Political Labour League. At the June 1904 election, he was elected to the Western Australian 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 Albany
Electoral district of Albany
The Electoral district of Albany is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Albany is named for the port and regional city of Western Australia which falls within its borders. It is one of the oldest electorates in Western Australia, with its first member having been...
. He held the seat until the election of 27 October 1905, when he was defeated by Edward Barnett.
From 1906 to 1911, Keyser was secretary of the Greenbushes
Greenbushes, Western Australia
Greenbushes is a timber and mining town located in the South West region of Western Australia.-History:Greenbushes was founded as a mining town in 1888 following a surveyor's discovery of tin in 1886. Greenbushes was named after the bright green bushes that contrasted against the grey eucalyptus...
Road Board. He was then Town Clerk for Wagin
Wagin, Western Australia
Wagin is a town and shire in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, approximately 225 km south-east of Perth on the Great Southern Highway between Narrogin and Katanning. It is also on State Route 107. The main industries are wheat and sheep farming.-History:The name of the town is...
until 1929, during which time he unsuccessfully contested the Legislative Assembly seat of Wagin
Electoral district of Wagin
Wagin is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.Wagin is named for the rural town of Wagin. The district covers a vast expanse of territory in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region....
at the 1917 election
Western Australian state election, 1917
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 29 September 1917 to elect 50 members to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. The Nationalist-Country-National Labor coalition, led by Premier Sir Henry Lefroy, retained government against the Labor Party led by Opposition Leader...
. He was secretary of the Murray Road Board from 1929 until his retirement in 1935. He then moved to Victoria, dying at Bentleigh
Bentleigh, Victoria
Bentleigh is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira. At the 2006 Census, Bentleigh had a population of 14,271.-History:...
on 30 October 1965.