John Hawthorne

John Stuart Hawthorne (14 February 184830 July 1942) was an Australian politician.

Early life Born in Sydney to James Hawthorne and Jane Elkins, he attended Cleveland Street Public School before working with a softgoods firm, establishing his own business in 1875. In that year he married Mary Emily Meyn at Singleton, with whom he had nine children. In 1884 he was bankrupted; he was discharged in 1885, becoming an auctioneer and estate agent at Leichhardt. He was bankrupted again in 1890, but retained the seat unopposed at the resulting by-election. He re-joined the Free Trade Party and the Liberal Reform Party on its formation in 1901. In 1904 he was denied Liberal Reform pre-selection in favour of Robert Booth, who had the support of the United Protestant Defence Association due to Hawthorne voting to grant money to various charities which included a Catholic orphanage. He again stood as an independent, but was defeated by Booth with a margin of 390 votes (6.4%). He stood again as an independent in 1907 but finished last of three candidates. In turn, the Hawthorne Canal Reserve, Hawthorne Parade and a stop on the Inner West Light Rail bear his surname.

Later life and death Hawthorne died at Summer Hill on .