Charles Baxter (politician)

The Honourable Charles Baxter
Member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia
In office 22 May 1914 – 2 March 1950
Preceded by	Thomas Wilding
Succeeded by	None (abolished)
Constituency	East Province
Personal details
Born	(1874-05-20)20 May 1874 Croxton East, Victoria, Australia
Died	2 March 1950(1950-03-02) (aged 75) Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia
Political party	Country

Charles Farquharson Baxter (20 May 1874 – 2 March 1950) was an Australian politician who was a Country Party member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1914 until his death. He was a minister in the governments of Henry Lefroy, Hal Colebatch, and James Mitchell.

Baxter was born in Croxton East, Victoria (near Hamilton), to Mary (née Barnes) and Patrick Duncan Baxter. He came to Western Australia in 1896, initially working as a butcher in Albany. He later worked as a telegraph linesman, an agent for a bicycle company, and as the director of an insurance company. Baxter eventually purchased a farming property near York.

Baxter first attempted to enter parliament at the 1911 state election, but was defeated by Frederick Monger in the seat of York. At the 1914 Legislative Council elections, he was elected to East Province for the Country Party, replacing the retiring Thomas Wilding. He would be re-elected in 1920, 1926, 1932, 1938, and 1946, on each occasion unopposed.

In June 1917, when Henry Lefroy replaced Frank Wilson as premier, Baxter was made a minister without portfolio in his government. He was made Minister for Agriculture in April 1919, when Hal Colebatch became premier, but Colebatch's government lasted less than a month before James Mitchell replaced him as leader of the Nationalist Party (and thus premier). Baxter was again made a minister without portfolio under Mitchell, serving in that capacity until the 1921 state election. He returned to the ministry after the 1930 election, as Minister for Country Water Supplies and Minister for Trading Concerns.

...
Wikipedia