James Cunningham

James Cunningham (28 December 18794 July 1943) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and began his political career in the Parliament of Western Australia, serving as a state government minister. He later served as a Senator for Western Australia from 1937 until his death in 1943, including as President of the Senate from 1941.

Early life Cunningham was born on 28 December 1879 at Wirrabara, South Australia. He was the son of Catherine (née Herrin) and James Cunningham, At the time of his birth, his parents were illiterate, with his father working as a farmer and stonemason and his mother working as a domestic servant.

Cunningham had little formal education. By 1899 Cunningham was living at Norseman. He moved to Boulder in 1905.

State politics Cunningham was an unsuccessful candidate for ALP preselection prior to the 1911 state election, losing to the incumbent Labor MP George "Mulga" Taylor in the Goldfields seat of Mount Margaret.

Cunningham was secretary of the Federated Miners' Union before his election to the Western Australian Legislative Council in 1916 as a Labor member. In 1922 he left the council, but in 1923 he was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly as the member for Kalgoorlie. He was an honorary minister 1924–1927 and held the portfolios of Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Goldfields and Minister for Water Supply 1927–1930. His alcoholism prevented him being reappointed to the Ministry in 1933 when Labor regained office. In accordance with electoral legislation at the time, he was also declared elected to the casual vacancy caused by the death of Country Party senator William Carroll, which had been filled by Thomas Marwick as an interim appointee. He therefore began his Senate term on 23 October 1937, the date of the election. He was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, after a state funeral.

Personal life In 1907, Cunningham married Alice Daly, with whom he had three surviving children. He had difficulties with alcohol throughout his parliamentary career and also suffered from silicosis from his time as a miner.