Charles North (politician)
Encyclopedia
Charles Frederic NorthBurke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition
give his full name as "Charles Frederick John North", but most contemporary sources use "Charles Frederic". (born 14 September 1887, in Perth
, Western Australia
; died 30 September 1979, in Perth, Western Australia) was an Australian soldier, lawyer and politician. He served as the Speaker of the
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
from 1947 to 1953.
, Western Australia
, to Frederic Dudley North
and Flora Frances Hamersley. On his father's side he was a descendant of the Barons North
and a great-grandson of the Scottish artist Sir Francis Grant
. His mother was the daughter of Edward Hamersley II, a member of the pioneering Hamersley family
of Western Australia.
in Perth, before being sent to England to continue his education at Rugby School
. He studied law at Oriel College, Oxford
, graduating in 1909 with a Bachelor of Arts
. He was also a member of the college eight
for three years. North was called to the Bar
as part of the Middle Temple
in 1912.
North served as a captain in the No. 16 Squadron RAF
in World War I
, as an observer-air gunner.
in 1923 as the Member for Claremont
. He served as Mayor of the Municipality of Cottesloe from 1923–24. He served as whip
of the Nationalist Party
in 1933. North also served as president of the Cottesloe sub-branch of the Returned and Services League (RSL), and as patron of the Claremont Football Club
and North Cottesloe Surf Life-saving Club.
In July 1947, he was appointed Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
, a role in which he served until 1953. North retired from politics in 1956.
of King George V in 1935 and the Coronation Medal
of King George VI in 1937.
Burke's Peerage
Burke's Peerage publishes authoritative, in-depth historical guides to the royal and titled families of the United Kingdom, such as Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, and of many other countries. Founded in 1826 by British genealogist John Burke Esq., and continued by his son, Sir John...
give his full name as "Charles Frederick John North", but most contemporary sources use "Charles Frederic". (born 14 September 1887, in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, 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...
; died 30 September 1979, in Perth, Western Australia) was an Australian soldier, lawyer and politician. He served as the Speaker of the
Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889...
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....
from 1947 to 1953.
Early life
North was born on 14 September 1887, in PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, 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...
, to Frederic Dudley North
Frederic North
Frederic Dudley North, CMG , was an England-born Australian public servant and cricketer.-Early life:...
and Flora Frances Hamersley. On his father's side he was a descendant of the Barons North
Baron North
Baron North, of Kirtling Tower in the County of Cambridge, is an abeyant title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 17 January 1554, for Sir Edward North. He was a successful lawyer, clerk of the Parliament and chancellor of the Court of Augmentations. The barony was created by writ, which...
and a great-grandson of the Scottish artist Sir Francis Grant
Francis Grant (artist)
Sir Francis Grant, RA , was a Scottish portrait painter, who painted Queen Victoria and many distinguished British aristocratic and political figures of the day...
. His mother was the daughter of Edward Hamersley II, a member of the pioneering 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:...
of Western Australia.
Education and military service
North attended Hale SchoolHale School
Hale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
in Perth, before being sent to England to continue his education at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
. He studied law at Oriel College, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, graduating in 1909 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
. He was also a member of the college eight
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
for three years. North was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
as part of the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1912.
North served as a captain in the No. 16 Squadron RAF
No. 16 Squadron RAF
No. 16 Squadron is a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force. It formed in 1915 at Saint-Omer to carry out a mixture of offensive patrolling and reconnaissance and was disbanded in 1919 with the end of the First World War...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, as an observer-air gunner.
Political career
North returned to Western Australia after the conclusion of the war, where he practised as a solicitor in Perth. In 1916, he married Bessie Saddington, with whom he had two daughters: Muriel Elvia Joan North (born 10 July 1917) and Rachel Mary June North (born 17 April 1930). He was elected to the Western Australian Legislative AssemblyWestern 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....
in 1923 as the Member for Claremont
Electoral district of Claremont
Claremont was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1901 to 1968.Located in the affluent western suburbs of Perth, it was a safe seat for the Liberal Party and its predecessor parties...
. He served as Mayor of the Municipality of Cottesloe from 1923–24. He served as whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
of the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
in 1933. North also served as president of the Cottesloe sub-branch of the Returned and Services League (RSL), and as patron of the Claremont Football Club
Claremont Football Club
The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....
and North Cottesloe Surf Life-saving Club.
In July 1947, he was appointed Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889...
, a role in which he served until 1953. North retired from politics in 1956.
Decorations
North received the Silver Jubilee MedalKing George V Silver Jubilee Medal
The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V.-Issue:...
of King George V in 1935 and the Coronation Medal
King George VI Coronation Medal
The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
of King George VI in 1937.