Jim Fraser
Encyclopedia
James Reay Fraser (8 February 1908 – 1 April 1970) was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives
for the Australian Capital Territory
from 1951 to 1970.
Fraser was born in Derby
, Tasmania
and educated at Launceston High School
. He worked as a chainman and axeman and as a teacher in Victorian state schools from 1927 to 1935. He then worked as a journalist until he enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force
in 1942 and served in New Guinea
until 1945. From 1946 to 1948 he worked as a journalist in the Department of Information in Canberra
and then as press secretary and private secretary to Senator Nick McKenna until 1951.
Advisory Council in 1949 and defeated Lewis Nott
for the House of Representatives seat of the Australian Capital Territory
in the 1951 election
, although this position did not have full powers until 1966. He put a great deal of time and energy into looking after the interests of his constituents. In 1959, he married Helen Whitten Rowland. He died of cancer
in 1970, survived by his wife and son.
His brother, Allan Fraser
, was MP for the adjoining seat of Eden-Monaro
from 1943 to 1966 and from 1969 to 1972.
The Division of Fraser
and Fraser, Australian Capital Territory
, the suburb of Canberra
, were named after him.
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....
for the Australian Capital Territory
Division of Australian Capital Territory
The Division of Australian Capital Territory was an Australian electoral division in the Territory of the same name. The division was created in 1949 and included the whole of the city of Canberra and surrounding rural areas....
from 1951 to 1970.
Fraser was born in Derby
Derby, Tasmania
Derby is a small Australian town located in the north east of Tasmania.The area had been surveyed in 1855, but was not settled or inhabited until 1874, when George Renison Bell discovered tin in the area. The Krushka brothers discovered a large lode of tin, and set up a mine in the area, assuring...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and educated at Launceston High School
Launceston College
Launceston College is located in Tasmania's second largest city of Launceston. The school offers a large variety of educational subjects for a considerable number of Tasmanians...
. He worked as a chainman and axeman and as a teacher in Victorian state schools from 1927 to 1935. He then worked as a journalist until he enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
in 1942 and served in New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
until 1945. From 1946 to 1948 he worked as a journalist in the Department of Information in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and then as press secretary and private secretary to Senator Nick McKenna until 1951.
Political career
Fraser became a member of the Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
Advisory Council in 1949 and defeated Lewis Nott
Lewis Nott
Lewis Windermere Nott was an Australian politician, medical practitioner and hospital superintendent. He represented two federal electorates, more than 1,000 km and 21 years apart.-Early life and war service:...
for the House of Representatives seat of the Australian Capital Territory
Division of Australian Capital Territory
The Division of Australian Capital Territory was an Australian electoral division in the Territory of the same name. The division was created in 1949 and included the whole of the city of Canberra and surrounding rural areas....
in the 1951 election
Australian federal election, 1951
Federal elections were held in Australia on 28 April 1951. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, due to a double dissolution called after the Senate rejected the Commonwealth Bank Bill...
, although this position did not have full powers until 1966. He put a great deal of time and energy into looking after the interests of his constituents. In 1959, he married Helen Whitten Rowland. He died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1970, survived by his wife and son.
His brother, Allan Fraser
Allan Fraser (Australian politician)
Allan Duncan Fraser CMG was an Australian politician and journalist.Fraser was in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton and brought up in Tasmania. He left State High School, Hobart at 17 to become a journalist on the Hobart Mercury. He worked for the Argus in Melbourne from 1922 to 1929 when he...
, was MP for the adjoining seat of Eden-Monaro
Division of Eden-Monaro
The Division of Eden-Monaro is anAustralian Electoral Division in New South Wales.The division was created in 1900, and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the town of Eden and the Monaro district of southern New South Wales...
from 1943 to 1966 and from 1969 to 1972.
The Division of Fraser
Division of Fraser
The Division of Fraser is an Australian Electoral Division in the Australian Capital Territory. It also covers the Jervis Bay Territory.The division was created in 1974 and is named for James Fraser, who was member for Australian Capital Territory 1951-70...
and Fraser, Australian Capital Territory
Fraser, Australian Capital Territory
Fraser is a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen. It lies at the north west end of Belconnen. The postcode is 2615. The suburb is named after James Reay Fraser, who was Member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Australian Capital Territory from 1951 to 1970 and...
, the suburb of Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, were named after him.