William Loton
Encyclopedia
Sir William Thorley Loton (11 June 1839–22 October 1924), was an Australia
n politician
.
in Staffordshire
, England
on 11 June 1839, William Loton was the son of publican and farmer Joseph Loton. He was educated by private tutor, but abandoned his schooling at the age of 14 to join the London
firm of Copestake Moore and Co. In 1863, he emigrated to Western Australia
, arriving on board the Strathmore on 25 March. He then entered commerce in Perth
and Geraldton
. On 13 February 1868 he married Anne Morris, with whom he would have three sons and three daughters. They lived in a large residence on the corner of Bulwer and Lord Streets in Perth, which he named Dilhorn
after his birthplace.
to form the firm of Padbury, Loton and Co. The firm was involved in a variety of mercantile activities, mostly in the north-west of the state
, and owned three coastal trading ships. It was also involved in a number of agricultural and pastoral developments, with extensive property holdings in the north west and also at Perth, Guildford
and Northam
. Loton sold out of the partnership in 1889, thereafter concentrating his efforts on two of his properties.
Between 1870 and 1910, Loton was heavily involved in numerous businesses, boards and societies. He was a director of the Perth Building Society
from 1872 to 1888; a director of the WA Bank from 1882 to 1924, and its chairman after 1909; and a director of CML Insurance. In 1884 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace
. He was active in a number of clubs and societies, including the Northam Agricultural Society and the Royal Agricultural Society
. He served on the Central Board of Education until 1892, and was a member of the Metropolitan Water Board in 1909 and 1910. In 1871 he was a foundation member of the Weld Club
, and he later became a life member of the Western Australian Club. He was a benefactor of St George's Cathedral, and a trustee of the Church of England
in Western Australia from 1888.
, a position that he held until resigning on 13 December 1887. A little over a year later on 4 February 1889, he was elected to the Legislative Council seat of Greenough in succession to Alfred Hensman. When Western Australia gained responsible government
in December 1890, Loton won the seat of Swan
in the Legislative Assembly
, holding it until the election of 4 May 1897, which he did not contest. In 1891 he was part of the Western Australian delegation to the National Australasian Convention, at which the future federation of the Australian colonies was discussed, and he was again appointed to attend the Federal Conventions of 1897 and 1898.
On 13 June 1898, Loton won a Legislative Council Central Province seat in a by-election
. He held it until the election of May 1900, which he did not contest. He unsuccessfully contested the Legislative Assembly seat of Moore
on 24 April 1901, then served for about a year as Mayor of Perth. In May 1902 he won an East Province seat in the Legislative Council in a by-election, holding it until his retirement from politics at the election of 21 May 1908.
in 1923. He died at Dilhorn on 22 October 1924, and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery
.
Loton was the original owner of Loton's Paddock, the land upon which the Members Equity Stadium
now sits. He sold it to the Perth Council in September 1904, and they established a recreation area there. It was named Loton Park until 1909.
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Early life
Born at DilhorneDilhorne
Dilhorne is an ancient parish and village in Staffordshire, three miles from Cheadle and six miles from Stoke-on-Trent.The village is within the Staffordshire Moorlands area....
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 11 June 1839, William Loton was the son of publican and farmer Joseph Loton. He was educated by private tutor, but abandoned his schooling at the age of 14 to join the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
firm of Copestake Moore and Co. In 1863, he emigrated to 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...
, arriving on board the Strathmore on 25 March. He then entered commerce 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....
and Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
. On 13 February 1868 he married Anne Morris, with whom he would have three sons and three daughters. They lived in a large residence on the corner of Bulwer and Lord Streets in Perth, which he named Dilhorn
Dilhorn House
Dilhorn House is a two storey Federation Queen Anne-style building located on Bulwer Street in Perth, Western Australia.-Construction:The building was constructed in 1897 for businessman William Thorley Loton who also owned a large area of land opposite known as Loton's Paddock...
after his birthplace.
Business and social life
In 1867, Loton partnered with Walter PadburyWalter Padbury
Walter Padbury was an Australian pioneer and philanthropist.Padbury was born at Stonesfield, near Woodstock, in the English county of Oxfordshire. He arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia in the Protector with his father on 25 February 1830, but in the following July his father died...
to form the firm of Padbury, Loton and Co. The firm was involved in a variety of mercantile activities, mostly in the north-west of the state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
, and owned three coastal trading ships. It was also involved in a number of agricultural and pastoral developments, with extensive property holdings in the north west and also at Perth, Guildford
Guildford, Western Australia
Guildford is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 13 km northeast of the city. Its Local Government Area is the City of Swan.-History:Guildford was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permanent fresh water supply...
and Northam
Northam, Western Australia
Northam is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. At the 2006 census, Northam had a population of 6,009. Northam is the largest town in the Avon region...
. Loton sold out of the partnership in 1889, thereafter concentrating his efforts on two of his properties.
Between 1870 and 1910, Loton was heavily involved in numerous businesses, boards and societies. He was a director of the Perth Building Society
Perth Building Society
Perth Building Society was Western Australia’s first building society. It operated from 1862 to 1987, when it amalgamated with the Hotham Permanent Building Society to form Challenge Bank....
from 1872 to 1888; a director of the WA Bank from 1882 to 1924, and its chairman after 1909; and a director of CML Insurance. In 1884 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. He was active in a number of clubs and societies, including the Northam Agricultural Society and the Royal Agricultural Society
Royal Agricultural Society
The Royal Agricultural Society of England was established in the United Kingdom in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science". The RASE aim is to promote the scientific development of agriculture. The society received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840.From its early days the society...
. He served on the Central Board of Education until 1892, and was a member of the Metropolitan Water Board in 1909 and 1910. In 1871 he was a foundation member of the Weld Club
Weld Club
The Weld Club is a gentlemen's club in Perth, Western Australia, founded in 1871 by members of the establishment of Perth. It was named after the then Governor of Western Australia, Sir Frederick Weld with the club building designed by Talbot Hobbs and constructed in 1892.-External links:*...
, and he later became a life member of the Western Australian Club. He was a benefactor of St George's Cathedral, and a trustee of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Western Australia from 1888.
Political life
On 14 July of that year, he was nominated to the Western Australian Legislative CouncilWestern Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
, a position that he held until resigning on 13 December 1887. A little over a year later on 4 February 1889, he was elected to the Legislative Council seat of Greenough in succession to Alfred Hensman. When Western Australia gained responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
in December 1890, Loton won the seat of Swan
Electoral district of Swan
Swan was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1890 to 1950 and again from 1962 to 1983....
in 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....
, holding it until the election of 4 May 1897, which he did not contest. In 1891 he was part of the Western Australian delegation to the National Australasian Convention, at which the future federation of the Australian colonies was discussed, and he was again appointed to attend the Federal Conventions of 1897 and 1898.
On 13 June 1898, Loton won a Legislative Council Central Province seat in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
. He held it until the election of May 1900, which he did not contest. He unsuccessfully contested the Legislative Assembly seat of Moore
Electoral district of Moore
Moore is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.Moore has had three incarnations as an electorate. It its first incarnation, Moore was one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election....
on 24 April 1901, then served for about a year as Mayor of Perth. In May 1902 he won an East Province seat in the Legislative Council in a by-election, holding it until his retirement from politics at the election of 21 May 1908.
Later life
Loton was made a knight bachelorKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1923. He died at Dilhorn on 22 October 1924, and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan cemetery in the suburb of Karrakatta in Perth, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, with Robert Creighton. Currently managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, the cemetery attracts more than one million visitors each...
.
Loton was the original owner of Loton's Paddock, the land upon which the Members Equity Stadium
Members Equity Stadium
Perth Oval, known by its sponsored name nib Stadium since July 2010, is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. It has been the home of A-League club Perth Glory since 1996 and has housed the administrative facilities of the Western Australia Rugby League since 2003...
now sits. He sold it to the Perth Council in September 1904, and they established a recreation area there. It was named Loton Park until 1909.