Hume Cook
Encyclopedia
James Newton Haxton Hume Cook CMG
(23 September 1866 – 8 August 1942) was an Australia
n politician.
Cook was born in Kihikihi
, New Zealand
, son of a failed farmer and he had to leave school at 13 to work selling books. He migrated with his family to Melbourne
in 1881. He left home in 1887 to sell real estate and soon became active in the Australian Natives Association
. In 1893, he was elected to Brunswick Town Council
and in 1896 became mayor. In 1902, he married Nellie Maine.
in 1894. He supported to federation of Australia
1897, but came only 19th in the vote for the Victorian delegates to the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention. He supported liberal causes, such as protection and state intervention into wage-fixing and working conditions, but lost his seat in 1900.
Cook won the Australian House of Representatives
seat of Bourke
at the first federal election in 1901 as a Protectionist
. He joined the fusion
in 1909 in an attempt to hold on to his seat, although its creation ran against his liberal principles. From January 1908 to the defeat of the government in 1908, he was a minister without portfolios in the Deakin ministry
. He chaired a royal commission on postal services from June to December 1908. The Labor Party
campaigned actively against him at the 1910 election
and he was defeated by Frank Anstey
. He ran unsuccessfully for Maribyrnong
at the 1913 election
.
Cook was involved with Billy Hughes
in the establishment of the Nationalist Party
in 1916 and the Australian Party
in 1929 and 1930. He was also secretary of the Australian Industries Protection League from 1922 until his death and represented Australian industry at the British Empire Economic Conference
in Ottawa
in 1932. In 1941, he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
(CMG). He died in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton, Victoria
, survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(23 September 1866 – 8 August 1942) was an 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 politician.
Cook was born in Kihikihi
Kihikihi
Kihikihi is a small town located in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is a satellite community of Te Awamutu, five kilometres to the north, and is 35 kilometres south of Hamilton...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, son of a failed farmer and he had to leave school at 13 to work selling books. He migrated with his family to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1881. He left home in 1887 to sell real estate and soon became active in the Australian Natives Association
Australian Natives Association
The Australian Natives' Association , a mutual society was founded in Melbourne, Australia in April 1871. The Association played a leading role in the movement for Australian federation in the last 20 years of the 19th century. In 1900 it had a membership of 17,000, mainly in Victoria.The ANA...
. In 1893, he was elected to Brunswick Town Council
City of Brunswick
The City of Brunswick is the name of a former Local Government Area in the inner-northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprised the suburbs of Brunswick, Brunswick East and West Brunswick...
and in 1896 became mayor. In 1902, he married Nellie Maine.
Political career
Cook was elected to the seat of East Bourke Boroughs in the Victorian Legislative AssemblyVictorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
in 1894. He supported to federation of Australia
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
1897, but came only 19th in the vote for the Victorian delegates to the 1897 Australasian Federal Convention. He supported liberal causes, such as protection and state intervention into wage-fixing and working conditions, but lost his seat in 1900.
Cook won the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seat of Bourke
Division of Bourke
The Division of Bourke was an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It was abolished in 1949. It was named for Sir Richard Bourke, who was Governor of New South Wales at the time...
at the first federal election in 1901 as a Protectionist
Protectionist Party
The Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in...
. He joined the fusion
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
in 1909 in an attempt to hold on to his seat, although its creation ran against his liberal principles. From January 1908 to the defeat of the government in 1908, he was a minister without portfolios in the Deakin ministry
Third Deakin Ministry
The Third Deakin Ministry was the sixth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 12 December 1906 to 13 November 1908.Protectionist Party...
. He chaired a royal commission on postal services from June to December 1908. 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...
campaigned actively against him at the 1910 election
Australian federal election, 1910
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 April 1910. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
and he was defeated by Frank Anstey
Frank Anstey
Frank Anstey , Australian politician, served 38 years as a Labor member of the Victorian and Commonwealth parliaments....
. He ran unsuccessfully for Maribyrnong
Division of Maribyrnong
The Division of Maribyrnong is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne. It covers the suburbs of Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Niddrie, Keilor East, Avondale Heights, Tullamarine, Airport West, Sunshine and Brooklyn. Due to...
at the 1913 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...
.
Cook was involved with Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
in the establishment 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 1916 and the Australian Party
Australian Party
The Australian Party can refer to a number of political parties in Australia's history, most recently to the party started by Queensland independent MP Bob Katter known as Katter's Australian Party...
in 1929 and 1930. He was also secretary of the Australian Industries Protection League from 1922 until his death and represented Australian industry at the British Empire Economic Conference
British Empire Economic Conference
The British Empire Economic Conference was a 1932 conference of British colonies and the autonomous dominions held to discuss the Great Depression. It was held between 21 July and 20 August in Ottawa.The conference saw the group admit the failure of the gold standard and abandon attempts to...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in 1932. In 1941, he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(CMG). He died in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton, Victoria
Brighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
, survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons.