Joseph John Holmes

The Honourable Joseph Holmes
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia
In office 5 May 1897 – 28 June 1904
Preceded by	None (new seat)
Succeeded by	William Angwin
Constituency	East Fremantle
In office 27 October 1905 – 24 April 1906
Preceded by	William Angwin
Succeeded by	William Angwin
Constituency	East Fremantle
Member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia
In office 21 March 1914 – 25 April 1942
Preceded by	Richard Pennefather
Succeeded by	Cyril Cornish
Constituency	North Province
Personal details
Born	24 May 1866 Mandurah, Western Australia, Australia
Died	25 April 1942 (aged 75) Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Joseph John Holmes (24 May 1866 – 25 April 1942) was an Australian politician who served in both houses of the Parliament of Western Australia. A minister in both governments of George Leake, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1897 to 1904 and again from 1905 to 1906, and later a member of the Legislative Council from 1914 until his death.

Holmes was born in Mandurah, Western Australia, to Maria (née Wilson) and Robert Holmes. After leaving school, he worked in Mandurah for a time, and then went to Fremantle, where he founded a meat processing firm with his three brothers. The firm, Holmes Brothers, later expanded to Perth and to the Eastern Goldfields (during the gold rushes of the 1890s), generating large profits. Holmes was elected to the Fremantle Municipal Council in 1893, and served until 1898.^[1] At the 1897 general election, Holmes won the newly created seat of East Fremantle, defeating Matthew Moss by just six votes.^[2] He was re-elected at the 1901 election, and subsequently appointed to the ministry formed by the new premier, George Leake, as Commissioner for Railways. The Leake government fell in November 1901, and Holmes was not retained as a minister under Alf Morgans. However, Leake returned as premier a month later, and made Holmes a minister without portfolio, a position which he held until Leake's death in June 1902.^[1]

At the 1904 state election, Holmes was defeated in East Fremantle by a Labor candidate, William Angwin. He reclaimed his seat at the 1905 election, winning by only 20 votes.^[2] However, that result was overturned by the Supreme Court of Western Australia in April 1906, due to issues of voter fraud.^[3] Holmes attempted to appeal this decision to the High Court of Australia, but was unsuccessful.^[4] Owing to the legal proceedings, the necessary by-election (which Holmes did not contest) was not held until November 1906.^[5] After leaving parliament, Holmes concentrated on his business interests for several years. He was elected unopposed as Mayor of Fremantle in November 1910, but resigned exactly one week after being sworn in, stating he had been misled about the state of the town finances.^[6] Holmes re-entered parliament in 1914, winning a Legislative Council by-election for North Province (caused by the death of Richard Pennefather). Standing as an independent, he was re-elected in 1914, 1920, 1926, 1932, and 1938, on each occasion unopposed.^[1] Holmes died in Perth in April 1942, aged 75, and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.^[7] He had married Marjorie Jane Tighe in 1897, with whom he had four children.^[1]

See also

• List of mayors of Fremantle

References

1. Joseph John Holmes – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
2. Black, David; Prescott, Valerie (1997). Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996. Perth, [W.A.]: Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission. ISBN 0730984095.
3. "EAST FREMANTLE ELECTION.", The Western Mail, 21 April 1906.
4. "THE EAST FREMANTLE ELECTION.", The Western Mail, 12 May 1906.
5. "EAST FREMANTLE ELECTION", The Daily News, 14 November 1906.
6. "FREMANTLE MAYORALTY.", The West Australian, 8 December 1910.
7. "THE LATE MR. J. J. HOLMES", The West Australian, 28 April 1942.