Alport Barker

Sir Thomas William Alport Barker (died 14 June 1956) was a Fijian newspaper owner and politician. He owned the Fiji Times for several decades and was a member of the Legislative Council for over 20 years.

Biography Barker was born in Akaroa in New Zealand. His family moved to Fiji when he was young and he attended school in Suva. In 1909 he married Evelyn Turner, daughter of Legislative Council member James Burton Turner; they subsequently had a daughter, Molly. Whilst in the newspaper business, he served as Chairman of the Suva Chamber of Commerce. he returned to New Zealand.

Political career Barker ran for election to the Legislative Council in the Southern constituency in the 1923 elections and defeated John Linn Hunt. He was returned unopposed in the 1926 elections and was re-elected in 1929, 1932 (unopposed), 1937 (unopposed) and 1940, before losing his seat to Amie Ragg in the 1944 elections. He ran for office again in the 1947, but failed to unseat Ragg. However, in the 1950 elections he defeated Ragg by 134 votes to return to the Legislative Council. He did not contest the 1953 elections.

During his time in the Legislative Council he became a member of the Executive Council. He was mayor of the city on five occasions.

Alongside John Percy Bayly, he campaigned for ethnic Fijians to be given the franchise, travelling to the UK at his own expense to make the case to the British authorities.