Charles Harper

Charles Harper (15 July 1842 – 20 April 1912) was a pastoralist, newspaper proprietor and politician in colonial Western Australia.

Biography

Early life Charles Harper was born on 15 July 1842 at Nardi, near Toodyay in Western Australia. His father was Reverend Charles Harper, a Church of England minister, and his mother, Julia Gretchem Harper née Lukin. On 19 December 1885, they launched publication of the Western Mail.

On 27 October 1884, he entered parliament for the second time, having won the seat of York. In 1885, he built a home in Guildford, which he named Woodbridge House; the house still stands and is now part of the National Trust. In 1887, he was a member of the Agricultural Commission.

He held his Legislative Council seat until 21 October 1890, at which time the Legislative Council became fully nominative. He then contested and won the seat of Beverley in the Legislative Assembly. From June 1894, he was Father of the House in the Legislative Assembly. In 1895 he opened a school at Guildford, which would later be taken over by the Church of England as Guildford Grammar School. He was appointed Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Assembly on 24 August 1897, holding the appointment until 2 December 1903, when he took up an appointment as Speaker. He stepped down as Speaker on 28 July 1904, and from his seat on 27 October 1905. In 1905, he was chairman of the Immigration Commission.

Death He died at Woodbridge on 20 April 1912, and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery.