Walter Parsons (politician)

Walter Langdon Parsons (16 August 1881 – 2 March 1955) was an Australian politician.

Walter Parsons
Member of the Australian Parliament for Angas
In office 14 November 1925 – 12 October 1929
Preceded by	Moses Gabb
Succeeded by	Moses Gabb
Personal details
Born	(1881-08-16)16 August 1881 Adelaide, South Australia
Died	2 March 1955(1955-03-02) (aged 73)
Political party	Nationalist Party of Australia
Occupation	Shopkeeper

Parsons was born at North Adelaide, the son of politician John Langdon Parsons and half-brother of Herbert Angas Parsons.^[1][2] He was educated at Queen's School, Angaston Public School and Whinham College. He worked for D & W Murray Limited from 1898, and in 1906 became a storekeeper in Gladstone, operating the Gladstone branch of F. C. Catt Specialty Stores. He renamed the store the W. L. Parsons Stores in 1912.^[1][3] In local government, Parsons was mayor of the Corporate Town of Gladstone from 1914 to 1916.^[4] He attempted to enlist for World War I service on 1 November 1918, but was deferred at the recruiting depot.^[5]

Parsons sold his Gladstone stores in 1919 and became a citrus grower at Paradise. In January 1922, he bought E. J. Woodroffe's store in Kadina, and operated it as W. Parsons & Co. until closing the business in December 1925 upon his election to parliament.^[6][7] He moved to Haldon Gardens (now in Kensington Park) by 1925, and served as a District Council of Burnside councillor for the Kensington Park Ward. Parsons was also a lay reader of the Anglican Church for over 20 years, a member of the standing committees of the Willochra and later Adelaide dioceses, and a vice-president of the Demobilised Soldiers' Association.^[1]

In 1925, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Nationalist member for Angas, defeating sitting Labor MP Moses Gabb.^[8] He held the seat until his defeat by Gabb in 1929, whereupon he became an insurance agent. Parsons died in 1955.^[9]

References

1. "MR. W. L. PARSONS". The Kadina And Wallaroo Times. Vol. LIX, no. 6827. South Australia. 24 June 1925. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
2. "Parsons, John Langdon (1837–1903)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
3. "Advertising". The Areas' Express. Vol. XXXV, no. 2, 259. South Australia. 26 July 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
4. Hosking, P. (1936). The Official civic record of South Australia : centenary year, 1936. Adelaide: Universal Publicity Company. p. 596.
5. "Untitled". The Areas' Express. Vol. XLI, no. 2, 577. South Australia. 8 November 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "Advertising". The Kadina And Wallaroo Times. Vol. LVI, no. 5897. South Australia. 25 January 1922. p. 3. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Advertising". The Kadina And Wallaroo Times. Vol. LIX, no. 6872. South Australia. 23 December 1925. p. 3. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "MR. GABB BEATEN". Queensland Times. Vol. LXVI, no. 12, 282. Queensland, Australia. 24 November 1925. p. 5 (DAILY.). Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
9. Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 9 November 2008.

Civic offices
Preceded by J. Eley	Mayor of Gladstone (SA) 1914–1916	Succeeded by F. C. Grubb
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Moses Gabb	Member for Angas 1925 – 1929	Succeeded by Moses Gabb