COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA LEGISLATIVE ELECTION OF 29-30 MARCH 1901 ==================================================================== SENATE ELECTION ==================================================================== WESTERN AUSTRALIA (Six senators to be elected) ==================================================================== Enrolled voters: 91,043 Votes cast: unknown Informal votes: 5,793 Formal votes: unknown -------------------------------------------------------------------- Candidate Party Votes % -------------------------------------------------------------------- Julius Bowen 2,184 09.9 Joseph Charles Prot 5,016 22.8 Hugh DE LARGIE Lab 12,648 57.5 ELECTED 4 Dr Henry Ellis 7,720 35.1 Norman EWING FT 11,037 50.2 ELECTED 6 Richard Gell 3,548 16.1 Edward HARNEY FT 11,475 52.2 ELECTED 5 Hon Alexander MATHESON FT 14,728 67.0 ELECTED 2 George PEARCE Lab 13,109 59.6 ELECTED 3 John Phair Prot 6,191 28.2 Walter Phillips 2,261 10.3 Henry Saunders FT 8,951 40.7 Staniforth SMITH FT 15,288 69.6 ELECTED 1 Horace Stirling 4,731 21.5 Joseph Thompson FT 9,249 42.1 Louis Wolff 3,729 17.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 131,865 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The official Return gives only the total number of votes cast (131,865), not the number of voters who cast them. Since each voter could vote for up to six candidates, the total formal vote is taken to be 21,978 (131,865 divided by six). But since voters could vote for fewer than six candidates, the actual number of voters was greater. The total formal vote for the House of Representatives in Western Australia in 1901 was 50,033. 2. Percentages shown are percentages of 21,978, indicating the proportion of voters who supported each candidate. The percentages column will thus add up to 600%, since each voter cast six votes. 3. Ellis was WA MLA for Coolgardie 1904-05. 4. For Saunders, see Senate Western Australia 1903, Appointments. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Senators' terms began 30 March 1901. Matheson, Pearce and Smith elected for a term to end on 31 December 1906. De Largie, Ewing and Harney elected for a term to end on 31 December 1903. -------------------------------------------------------------------- > Hugh de Largie (1859-1947): Elected 1901 Born: 26 March 1859, Lanarkshire, Scotland Career: Primary education. Miner. Migrated 1887. Miner, unionist. General President, Amalagamated Workers Association Western Australia. Founding member Labour Party Western Australia. > Norman Kirkwood Ewing (1870-1928): Elected 1901 Born: 26 December 1870, Wollongong, NSW Career: Educated Illawarra College, Mittagong, NSW, University of Sydney. Barrister, Western Australia, 1896. Brother of Hon Thomas Ewing MP. Colonial politics: WA MLA for Swan 1897-1901 Resigned place 17 April 1903 (see Appointments) Later career: Mayor of Perth 1902. To Tasmania 1903. Tas MHA for Franklin 1909-15. Judge of Supreme Court of Tasmania 1915-24. Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania 1923-24. Died 19 July 1928 > Edward Augustine St Aubyn Harney (1865-1929): Elected 1901 Born: 31 August 1865, Dublin, Ireland Career: Educated Jesuit College, Dublin, and Royal University of Ireland. Barrister 1892. Migrated 1896. Selector at Coolgardie, Western Australia. Barrister. Harney retired in 1903. Later career: Returned to Britain 1906. Barrister. Liberal MP 1922-24. Died 17 May 1929 > Alexander Perceval Matheson (1861-1929): Elected 1901 Born: 6 February 1861, Scotland Career: Educated Harrow School, England. Migrated 1894. Commercial agent and company manager, goldfields. Colonial politics: WA MLC for Eastern 1897-1901 > George Foster Pearce (1870-1952): Elected 1901 Born: 14 January 1870, Mt Barker, South Australia Career: Educated state schools, South Australia. Apprentice carpenter. To Western Australia 1891. Secretary Carpenters Union. President United Trades Council of Western Australia 1899. Great-grandfather of Hon Jane Prentice MHR. > Miles Staniforth Cater Smith (1869-1934): Elected 1901 Born: 25 February 1869, Kingston, Victoria Career: Educated St Arnaud Grammar School and University of Melbourne. Engineer. To Western Australia 1896. Public servant. Kalgoorlie Council, mayor 1900. Leading federalist. --------------------------------------------------------------------