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William Vowles

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Australian politician This article is about the Australian politician. For the English organ-builder, see W.G. Vowles.

William Vowles
Leader of the Opposition of Queensland
In office
28 January 1920 – 11 Jul 1923
Preceded byEdward Macartney
Succeeded byCharles Taylor
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Dalby
In office
26 Apr 1911 – 8 May 1926
Preceded byJoshua Thomas Bell
Succeeded byWilfred Russell
Personal details
BornWilliam John Vowles
(1876-04-22)22 April 1876
Enoggera, Queensland, Australia
Died28 August 1943(1943-08-28) (aged 67)
Dalby, Queensland, Australia
Resting placeDalby Monumental Cemetery
Political partyCountry Party
Other political
affiliations		Ministerial, Liberal Party, National
SpouseGrace Lyndley Black (m.1903 d.1953)
OccupationSolicitor

William John Vowles (22 April 1876 – 21 August 1943) was a solicitor and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.

Biography

Vowles was born at Enoggera, Queensland, to parents George Vowles and his wife Georgina Maria Cecilia (née Kean) and studied at Ipswich Grammar and Brisbane Grammar Schools. His father, a State School teacher, was the first white child born in Ipswich. He started his legal career as an articled clerk with J.B. McGregor in Brisbane and, after being admitted to the bar, he moved to Dalby in 1899, where he set up his own practice.

Once he arrived in Dalby he realized he was the only solicitor in the town but soon after his arrival two other solicitors commenced practice there as well. Over time, though, these solicitors left the town and, once again, Vowles was by himself until 1906. He was interested in the public affairs of Dalby and was a member of several clubs and was also on the hospitals' board for forty years.

On December 1, 1903 he married Grace Lyndley Black (died 1953) and together had three sons and three daughters. He had been in failing health for the last two years of his life and in 1943, he suffered a severe heart attack the night before he died. He did not attend his office the next day and was resting in bed when he suffered another heart attack, this time fatal. He was buried in the Dalby Monumental Cemetery.

Political career

Vowles first started in politics as an alderman on the Dalby Town Council in 1900, becoming the mayor in 1907 until 1909. He resigned from the council when he became opposition leader in the state parliament, but he resumed as an alderman after he lost his seat after in 1926.

Vowles' first attempt at entering the Queensland Parliament came at the 1908 state election when Vowles, representing the Ministerialist Party, stood against Joshua Thomas Bell for the seat of Dalby. He was well beaten, but in 1911 Bell died and this time Vowles won the resulting by-election.

Vowles held the seat of Dalby for the next fifteen years. In that time he was opposition leader from January 1920 until July 1923. At the 1926 state election, he lost his seat to Wilfred Russell, the Primary Producers Candidate.

On 28 June 1920, following a meeting of the fourteen members of Parliament representing the country constituencies of Queensland, Vowles announced that a majority had voted to form a Country Party in the State House. It was later revealed that Vowles was in the minority that voted against the measure.

References

  1. ^ "OBITUARY". Dalby Herald. 24 August 1943. Retrieved 14 March 2016 – via Trove.
  2. ^ "Former Members: Biography, William Vowles". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  3. "Cemeteries Online: Record for William John Vowles | Section PC, Row, RC, Plot 3538". Western Downs Regional Council. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  4. "Details of Polling - Dalby". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. 64, no. 15623. 7 February 1908. p. 6. Retrieved 1 March 2024 – via Trove.
  5. "State Elections". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. 80, no. 21306. 10 May 1926. p. 11. Retrieved 1 March 2024 – via Trove.
  6. "QUEENSLAND POLITICS". Northam Courier. Vol. XI, no. 891. Western Australia. 30 July 1920. p. 8. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
Political offices
Preceded byEdward Macartney Leader of the Opposition of Queensland
1920–1923 		Succeeded byCharles Taylor
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded byJoshua Thomas Bell Member for Dalby
1911–1926 		Succeeded byWilfred Russell
Leaders of the National Party (and predecessors) in Queensland
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