James Walker (Australian politician), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

James Walker (Australian politician)

Australian politician, born 1841

Date of Birth: 20-Mar-1841

Place of Birth: Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Date of Death: 18-Jan-1923

Profession: engineer, politician

Nationality: Australia

Zodiac Sign: Pisces


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About James Walker (Australian politician)

  • James Thomas Walker (20 March 1841 – 18 January 1923) was an Australian banker and politician.
  • He served as a Senator for New South Wales from 1901 to 1913. Walker was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • He spent his early childhood in New South Wales, before returning to Scotland with his family to study finance.
  • Joining the Bank of New South Wales, he returned to Australia and held various financial positions in New South Wales and Queensland.
  • Gaining a public reputation for financial expertise, he was active in the Federationist cause and was a delegate to the 1897 Constitutional Convention, where he was a significant figure in the development of Commonwealth finance schemes.
  • After assisting the successful "Yes" campaign for the 1898 referendum, he was elected to the Senate in 1901 as a Free Trader. As a senator, Walker continued to focus on finance, although his views on social policy sometimes saw him on the outside of his party.
  • He supported the White Australia policy but disagreed with key elements, and was a leader in opposition to the dictation test, by which a potential immigrant was required to pass a test in any European language before their application was accepted.
  • He also campaigned for a transcontinental railway and for a capital city to be located on federal territory.
  • Attempts to guide financial reform through the parliament as a backbench senator led to frustration, and Walker retired due to ill health in 1913 with his legislation unpassed.

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