Ben Courtice

Benjamin Courtice (14 February 1881 – 7 January 1972) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland from 1937 to 1962. He served as Minister for Trade and Customs under Ben Chifley from 1946 to 1949.

The Honourable Ben Courtice
Minister for Trade and Customs
In office 1 November 1946 – 19 December 1949
Prime Minister	Ben Chifley
Preceded by	James Fraser
Succeeded by	Neil O'Sullivan
Senator for Queensland
In office 2 September 1937 – 30 June 1962
Personal details
Born	(1881-02-14)14 February 1881 Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
Died	7 January 1972(1972-01-07) (aged 90) Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouse(s)	1) Bertha Demaine 2) Elsie Dora Maud Joyner
Relations	Brian Courtice (nephew)
Occupation	Farmer

Early life

Courtice was born in Bundaberg and was educated at Bundaberg South State School. He left school at twelve to work in the laboratory of the Millaquin sugar refinery at Bundaberg. In 1905 he was involved in the formation of the Bundaberg and District Workers' Union, which later became part of the Australian Workers' Union. He married Bertha Demaine in 1910 and they had a son and three daughters before her death in 1925. Courtice won £90 for winning a foot-race at about the time of his marriage and used it to buy a sugar farm and he subsequently became a member of various sugar growers organisations. In 1936, he married Elsie Dora Maud Joyner.^[1]

Political career

Courtice's older brother Frederick Courtice was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council for the Labor Party, participating in the vote to abolish the council in 1922.^[2] Ben Courtice was appointed to a casual vacancy in the Australian Senate in 1937. He served as Chairman of Committees from 1943 to 1946,^[3] resigning to become Minister for Trade and Customs in the second Chifley Ministry. He served in cabinet from November 1946 until Labor's defeat at the 1949 election. Courtice retired from the Senate at the end of his term in June 1962.^[4] He died in Bundaberg, survived by the children of his first marriage.^[1] His nephew, Brian Courtice, was later elected to the House of Representatives.

Notes

1. Brown, Elaine (1993). "Courtice, Benjamin (1885–1972)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
2. The Immigrant's Child, A.C. Courtice. Hillside Books, 2011
3. "Appendix 3―Deputy Presidents and Chairmen of Committees (1901–2009)". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
4. Walter, James. "COURTICE, Benjamin (1885–1972)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 21 December 2022.

Political offices
Preceded by James Fraser	Minister for Trade and Customs 1946–49	Succeeded by Neil O'Sullivan