Edward Brooker

William Edward Brooker (4 January 1891 – 18 June 1948) was a Labor Party politician. He became the interim Premier of Tasmania on 19 December 1947 while Robert Cosgrove was facing corruption charges. He died on 18 June 1948, shortly after returning the premiership to Cosgrove on 24 February 1948.

Early life and military service Brooker was born in Hendon, a suburb of London, and was educated at Enfield Grammar School. He began working as a clerk for the Asiatic Petroleum Company, and later managed his father's business.

Brooker was a member of the Territorial Force, the volunteer component of the British Army, and a precursor to the Territorial Army. During World War I he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Gallipoli, Thessaloniki and Palestine. and joined the Labor Party, unsuccessfully running for the electorate of Franklin in the Tasmanian House of Assembly. Inspired by Major C. H. Douglas' Social Credit movement, Brooker ran for Franklin again in 1934 and won, becoming an MHA on 9 June 1934.

In December 1947, the Premier Robert Cosgrove was indicted on charges of bribery and corruption. Cosgrove stood down as Premier during his trial, and Brooker was sworn in as his replacement on 19 December 1947. The trial was concluded by February the next year, and the charges against Cosgrove were dropped. Brooker stood down after only two months as Premier, and Cosgrove was reinstated, appointing Brooker as Treasurer and Minister for Transport. Four months after resigning the Premiership, Brooker died at his home in Montrose after suffering a pulmonary oedema on 18 June 1948.

Legacy The Hobart highway known as the Northern Outlet, the idea of which was conceived by Brooker as transport minister, was renamed the Brooker Highway in his honour.