Electoral district of Forrest
Encyclopedia
Forrest was an electoral district
of the Legislative Assembly
in the Australia
n state of Western Australia
from 1904 to 1950. It was based in the South West region of the state, in the timber milling areas near the town of Dwellingup
.
From the first time it was contested at the 1904 state election, the district was always a reliable Labor Party
seat. Its first member was Albert Wilson. He was succeeded at the 1908 state election by Peter O'Loghlen
. O'Loughlen resigned the seat to contest the federal division of Swan
at the 1913 Australian federal election
. The by-election to replace him was won by Labor candidate Thomas Chesson, who stood unopposed. But with O'Loughlen losing the contest for the federal seat of Swan, Chesson resigned before he could be seated and O'Loughlen won a second by-election.
O'Loughlen's death in 1923 triggered a by-election that was won by Labor candidate John Holman. Holman himself died in 1925 and was succeeded at the subsequent by-election by his daughter May Holman
. May Holman—the first female representative of an Australian parliament to belong to the Labor Party—held the seat until her death in a car accident on the day of the 1939 state election
. The by-election to succeed her was won by her brother Edward Holman
. He was succeeded at the 1947 state election
by Alfred Reynolds
, who held the seat until its abolition at the 1950 state election.
Electoral districts of Western Australia
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly is elected from 59 single-member electoral districts. These districts are often referred to as electorates or seats....
of the 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....
in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of 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...
from 1904 to 1950. It was based in the South West region of the state, in the timber milling areas near the town of Dwellingup
Dwellingup, Western Australia
Dwellingup is a town in Western Australia, located in a timber and fruitgrowing area in the Darling Range east-south-east of Pinjarra. At the 2006 census, Dwellingup had a population of 346.-Name:...
.
From the first time it was contested at the 1904 state election, the district was always a reliable 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...
seat. Its first member was Albert Wilson. He was succeeded at the 1908 state election by Peter O'Loghlen
Peter O'Loghlen (Australian politician)
Peter Laurence O'Loghlen was an Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Forrest in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1908 to 1923....
. O'Loughlen resigned the seat to contest the federal division of Swan
Division of Swan
The Division of Swan is an Australian Electoral Division located in Western Australia. The division is named after the Swan River.For several decades, it has been a marginal seat, extending along the Swan and Canning Rivers from the affluent suburbs in the City of South Perth to the west, which...
at the 1913 Australian federal election
Australian federal election, 1913
Federal elections were held in Australia on 31 May 1913. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Andrew Fisher was defeated by the opposition Commonwealth Liberal...
. The by-election to replace him was won by Labor candidate Thomas Chesson, who stood unopposed. But with O'Loughlen losing the contest for the federal seat of Swan, Chesson resigned before he could be seated and O'Loughlen won a second by-election.
O'Loughlen's death in 1923 triggered a by-election that was won by Labor candidate John Holman. Holman himself died in 1925 and was succeeded at the subsequent by-election by his daughter May Holman
May Holman
Mary Alice "May" Holman was an Australian politician. She was the first woman in the Australian Labor Party to become a parliamentarian...
. May Holman—the first female representative of an Australian parliament to belong to the Labor Party—held the seat until her death in a car accident on the day of the 1939 state election
Western Australian state election, 1939
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 18 March 1939 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The Labor Party, led by Premier John Willcock, won a third term in office against the Country and Nationalist parties, led by Opposition Leader Charles Latham and Robert Ross...
. The by-election to succeed her was won by her brother Edward Holman
Edward Holman
Edward Joseph Frederick Holman was an Australian politician. He was the son of John Holman and the brother of May Holman, the first female Labor MP in Australia. He succeeded his sister as the Labor member for Forrest in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, serving from 1939 to 1947....
. He was succeeded at the 1947 state election
Western Australian state election, 1947
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 15 March 1947 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The result was a hung parliament—the four-term Labor government, led by Premier Frank Wise, was defeated with a swing of approximately 7%, but the Liberal-Country Party...
by Alfred Reynolds
Alfred Reynolds (politician)
Alfred George Reynolds was an Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Forrest in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1947 to 1950....
, who held the seat until its abolition at the 1950 state election.
Members for Forrest
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Wilson | Labor 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... |
1904–1908 | |
| Peter O'Loghlen Peter O'Loghlen (Australian politician) Peter Laurence O'Loghlen was an Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Forrest in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1908 to 1923.... |
Labor | 1908–1923 | |
| John Holman | Labor | 1923–1925 | |
| May Holman May Holman Mary Alice "May" Holman was an Australian politician. She was the first woman in the Australian Labor Party to become a parliamentarian... |
Labor | 1925–1939 | |
| Edward Holman Edward Holman Edward Joseph Frederick Holman was an Australian politician. He was the son of John Holman and the brother of May Holman, the first female Labor MP in Australia. He succeeded his sister as the Labor member for Forrest in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, serving from 1939 to 1947.... |
Labor | 1939–1947 | |
| Alfred Reynolds Alfred Reynolds (politician) Alfred George Reynolds was an Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Forrest in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1947 to 1950.... |
Labor | 1947–1950 | |