MP Biographical Register

Stephen Henry Parker Sr

Parliamentary Service

House

MLC

Party

Opposed to Forrest 1890–1892 1894–1897

Date Elected

22 May 1878

Electorate

Nominated

Service

Electorates

MLC Perth, 22 May 1878 (by-election)–19 April 1888 (resigned); Vasse 12 September 1888 (by-election)–21 October 1890
MLA York, 12 December 1890–5 October 1892 (resigned)
Nominated MLC, 11 October 1892–June 1894
MLC Metropolitan Province, 16 July 1894–May 1897 (resigned)
Contested Perth, 5 May 1897, Metropolitan–Suburban Province 29 August 1900

Office

Leader of the Opposition, December 1890–October 1892
Colonial Secretary and Minister for Education, 11 October 1892–4 December 1894

Delegations

Delegate to Imperial Parliament when 1889 Constitution Act was before Parliament
Presented case of WA in regard to Federation to Imperial Parliament, 1900

Private Member's Bills

Inaugural Speech

Year Retired/Resigned

1900

Personal Information

Birth date

7 November 1846

Place of birth

Cold Harbour near York, Western Australia

Death date

13 December 1927

Cause of death

Place of death

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Cemetery

Karrakatta Cemetery, Western Australia

Arrived in WA

Parents

Son of Stephen Stanley Parker, farmer and grazier, and Elizabeth Sewell, and father of Hubert Stanley Wyborn

Marriage and Family

Married 27 July 1872, Perth to Amy Katherine Leake (born 20 January 1855), daughter of George Walpole and Rose Ellen Gliddon
Children: six sons and eight daughters including Rose Elizabeth Parker who married Norbert Michael Keenan, politician
Widowed 12 March 1914

Religion

Jewish

Education

Educated Bishop Hale's School
Five year legal apprenticeship

Occupation

Lawyer

Employment History

Tutor to Bishop Hale’s son, 1863
Admitted to WA Bar, 1868
Entered practice with brother George, formed Parker and Parker, 1871
QC, 1890
Puisne Judge Supreme Court, September 1901
Chief Justice, February 1906–December 1913

Local Government

Member, Perth Town Council, November 1877–1879; (chairman 1878) Mayor of Perth, 1880–1881, February–October 1892, May–September 1901

Principal Honours

Knight (Kt) 1908 Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG), 1914

Background/Membership

In political agitation became known as the ‘people’s Harry’
Fined for criticising Chief Justice Burt, 1870
Petitioned for bankruptcy, April 1888 but recovered financially
Board member, Union Bank and Dalgety and Company
Founding member, Perth Chamber of Commerce 1890
Invested substantially in gold mining
Moved to Melbourne, after death of wife
Skilled amateur horse rider in youth
Won Queens Plate, 1865, prominent horse owner, 1874 honorary secretary Western Australian Turf Club
A founder and vice-president, Western Australian Cricket Association, 1885
Foundation member, Weld Club, president, 1901–1912, life member, 1922
The suburb of Parkerville is named after Parker
Owned Mahogany Creek Inn, 4260 Great Eastern Highway, Mahogany Creek, WA, circa 1900

References

D Black and G Bolton, eds, Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia: volume one 1870-1930, Parliamentary History Project, Perth, WA, 2001, p. 157.
Heritage Council. State Heritage Office website. Accessed 4 March 2015. http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/Details/ef2e94b4-686a-4a96-86ea-0685cac71432
Metropolitan Cemeteries Board website. Accessed online 12 July 2022. https://portal.mcb.wa.gov.au/name-search/ns-detail/?id=9a61c9b0-931d-ec11-b6e7-00224814cbf0

Bibliography

Further Information

Battye, JS. The Cyclopedia of Western Australia, vol 1, p. 365.
Wendy Birman and G. C. Bolton, 'Parker, Sir Stephen Henry (1846–1927)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/parker-sir-stephen-henry-7957/text13853, published first in hardcopy 1988, accessed online 7 January 2016. Includes family tree.
AH Chisholm, The Australian encyclopaedia.
R Erickson, The bicentennial dictionary of Western Australians, pre-1829-1888, Volume III.
Kimberly, WB. History of West Australia. A Narrative of her Past, together with biographies of her leading men, p. 16–18.
Louch, TS. The first 50 years: the history of the Weld Club.
E Russell, A history of the law in Western Australia and its development from 1829 to 1979, p. 216–17.
Twentieth century impressions of Western Australia, p. 40.