George Philip Barber

George Philip Barber (26 March 1863 – 7 November 1938) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. To the people of Bundaberg, he was known as "Honest George".[1]

George Barber
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Bundaberg
In office 6 July 1901 – 10 May 1935
Preceded by	Thomas Glassey
Succeeded by	Bernard McLean
Personal details
Born	George Philip Barber 26 March 1863 Lowestoft, Suffolk, England
Died	7 November 1938 (aged 75) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Nationality	English Australian
Political party	Labor
Spouse(s)	Mary Nichols (m.1891 d.1939)
Occupation	Labourer

Biography

Barber was born in Oulton Broad, a suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, the son of George Barber Snr and his wife Susan (née Gall). He was educated in the local parish and board schools and by 1875 was working as a seaman in the Dogger Bank fishing fleet before engaging in missionary work in India.

After arriving in Queensland Barber took up banana farming and was a handyman at the local meatworks and labourer at a sawmill. He was also a Petty Officer in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve for the duration of World War One.

In 1891[2] Barber married Mary Nichols[1] (died 1939)[3] in Melbourne and together had two sons and two daughters.[1] He died in Brisbane in November 1938 and was cremated at Mt Thompson Crematorium.[4]

Public career

Following the resignation of Thomas Glassey to join the Australian Senate,[5] Barber, a member of the Labour Party, won the resulting by-election in 1901 for the seat of Bundaberg in the Queensland Legislative Assembly.[6] He defeated Michael Duffy, who had represented the seat from 1893-1896.[7]

Barber went on to represent the seat for 34 years, retiring at the 1935 state election. By the time of his retirement he was the Father of the House. For a period during his parliamentary career, Barber was Secretary of the Queensland Parliamentary Labor Party.[1]

References

1. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
2. Family History Search — Victorian Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
3. Family History Search — New South Wales Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
4. George Philip Barber ( - 1938) — Heaven Address. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
5. Glassey, Thomas — Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
6. "STATE POLITICS". The Brisbane Courier. LVIII (13, 568). Queensland, Australia. 8 July 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 8 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
7. Duffy, Michael — Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2016.