George Pearce (Queensland politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Pearce
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| Member of the Australian Parliament for Capricornia |
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| In office 10 December 1949 – 9 December 1961 |
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| Preceded by | Charles Davidson |
| Succeeded by | George Gray |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 September 1917 Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 23 May 1992 (aged 74) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse |
Nell Graham
(m. 1939; died 1991) |
| Children | 2 |
Henry George Pearce (born 17 September 1917 – died 23 May 1992) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1961. He represented the area called Division of Capricornia for the Liberal Party.
Contents
Early Life and Work
George Pearce was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. He went to Rockhampton State High School. In 1939, he married Nell Graham, and they had two sons, Greg and Laurie.
After school, George Pearce managed a sports store. During World War II, he could not join the military for health reasons. Instead, he worked for the Australian Red Cross. He was the secretary for the local branch and an officer for the Central Queensland area. Before he became a politician in 1949, he worked as a sales representative for a printing company.
Political Career
Starting in Politics
George Pearce first got involved in politics in 1946. He helped with the election campaign for Charles Davidson. Davidson won the seat of Capricornia.
Before the 1949 election, Charles Davidson moved to a new area called Dawson. George Pearce then became the Liberal Party candidate for Capricornia. He won the election and kept the seat.
Serving in Parliament
George Pearce was re-elected several times. He won elections in 1951, 1954, 1955, and 1958. This showed that people in his area trusted him to represent them.
In 1960, he became the Government Whip in the House of Representatives. A whip makes sure that members of their party vote together on important issues. Before this, he was the deputy whip.
Important Work on Voting Rights
In 1961, George Pearce led a special group called a select committee. This committee looked into voting rights for all Australians. The committee suggested that Indigenous Australians should have the right to vote. This was a very important recommendation.
The committee's ideas became law in 1962. This meant that Indigenous Australians could vote in federal elections.
Leaving Parliament
George Pearce lost his seat in parliament at the 1961 election. He was defeated by George Gray from the Labor Party. This happened partly because of changes to the election area boundaries.
Later Life
After leaving politics in 1962, George Pearce worked as a business consultant. He later became a director for a company called Pacific Sporting Pools. This company ran betting pools on Australian sports. They operated from Nauru to follow different rules. The company started in 1969 but stopped after six weeks. This was because state governments in Australia did not support it. George Pearce then resigned from his position.
He was also a director for other companies, including Central Pacific Hotels and Central Pacific Airways. A hotel was built in Nauru, but the airline did not start operating.
George Pearce's wife, Nell, passed away in September 1991. He died in Queensland on 23 May 1992, at the age of 74.
