- John Willcock
Infobox_Premier | name =John Willcock
nationality =Australian
order =15thPremier of Western Australia
term_start =20 August 1936
term_end =31 July 1945
predecessor =Philip Collier
successor =Frank Wise
deputy =
caption =
birth_date =9 August 1879
birth_place =Frogmore),New South Wales
death_date =death date and age|1956|7|7|1879|8|9|df=y
death_place =Subiaco, Western Australia
constituency =Geraldton
party =Australian Labor Party
spouse =Sicily Ann Willcock ("née" Stone)
profession =
religion =
footnotes =John Collings Willcock (
9 August 1879 –7 June 1956 ) wasPremier of Western Australia for nearly nine years.Early life
John Willcock was born at Frogmoor (now Frogmore),
New South Wales on9 August 1879 . The son of miner Joseph Willcock, he was educated at Sydney High School before emigrating toWestern Australia in 1897. He was employed on the Fremantle Harbour Works until 1899, then spent two years as an engine drivercite book|author=Reid, Gordon Stanley and Oliver, Margaret Ruth|year=1982|title=The Premiers of Western Australia 1890–1982|location=Nedlands, Western Australia|publisher=University of Western Australia Press|id=ISBN 0-85564-214-9] or cleanerBlack and Bolton 2001] forWestern Australian Government Railways . In 1902 he moved to Geraldton, where he worked as a railway fireman until 1912. In 1907 he married Sicily Ann Stone, with whom he would have three sons and three daughters. From 1912 to 1917 he worked as an engine driver.Political career
Willcock became an active and enthusiastic member of the
Australian Labor Party (ALP), holding various offices in the Geraldton branch of the Engine Drivers' Firemen's and Cleaners' Union, and representing them at Federal conferences. From 1914 to 1917 he was President of the Geraldton District Council of the ALP, and he was aJustice of the Peace from 1915. On14 April 1917 he contested theWestern Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Geraldton in aby-election occasioned by the resignation ofErnest Heitmann , but was defeated bySamuel Elliot . Five months later he won the seat in thegeneral election of29 September 1917 . He was soon made a member of the executive of theAustralian Workers Union , and became secretary of theParliamentary Labor Party .On
16 April 1924 , Willcock was appointed Minister for Railways and Justice and Minister for Police in the Collier ministry. He held the Police portfolio until25 June 1928 , and the Railways and Justice portfolio until the defeat of the Collier government on23 April 1930 . From 1927 to 1930 he was deputy leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party.When the Labor party returned to power under Collier on
24 April 1933 , Willcock resumed as Minister for Railways and Justice, and was also given the Education portfolio. He relinquished the Education portfolio on26 March 1935 , when he was reappointed deputy leader. On19 August the following year, Collier stepped down as premier and leader of the Labor Party, and the following day Willcock was appointed his successor. Relinquishing the Railways and Justice portfolio, he took the offices of Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Forests. He dropped the Forest portfolio on9 December 1943 , but held the other offices for nearly nine years, resigning for reasons of ill health on31 July 1945 . During his time as Premier of Western Australia, Willcock represented Western Australia at thecoronation ofKing George VI in May 1937. He was known for his "disarming modesty".After resigning as premier, Willcock retired to the backbenches until the general election of
15 march 1947 , where he did not contest his seat. He died on7 June 1956 at St John of God Hospital,Subiaco, Western Australia , and was buried inKarrakatta Cemetery .References
Persondata
NAME=Willcock, John Collings
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=politician
DATE OF BIRTH=9 August 1879
PLACE OF BIRTH=Frogmore, New South Wales
DATE OF DEATH=7 June 1956
PLACE OF DEATH=Subiaco, Western Australia
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