Walter James

Sir Walter James KCMG, KC
Walter James, from the Western Australian Government Photographer Collection
5th Premier of Western Australia
In office 1 July 1902 – 10 August 1904
Preceded by	George Leake
Succeeded by	Henry Daglish
Personal details
Born	Walter Hartwell James (1863-03-29)29 March 1863 Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Died	3 January 1943(1943-01-03) (aged 79) Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Political party	Unaligned

Sir Walter Hartwell James KCMG, KC, (29 March 1863 – 3 January 1943) was the fifth Premier of Western Australia and an ardent supporter of the federation movement.

James was born in Perth, in what was then the British colony of Western Australia. He was educated at Perth Boys School and later at Perth High School (now Hale School). After his father's death, his mother remarried to George Randell, a member of the Legislative Council. James was thus the step-brother of Ernest Randell, who later played cricket for Western Australia. In his youth, James worked as a jackaroo at De Grey Station in the Pilbara, but after being shipwrecked off Rottnest Island in 1883 on his way to the Pilbara, he turned to the legal profession. He was articled to George Leake in 1883, and was admitted to the Western Australian bar in 1888. Shortly afterwards he went into partnership with Leake. James also played football for the Rovers Football Club in the West Australian Football Association. He later served as secretary of the Association. On 21 June 1892, he married Eleanora Marie Gwenifryd Hearder.