James Cunningham (Australian politician)

The Honourable James Cunningham
President of the Senate
In office 1 July 1941 – 4 July 1943
Preceded by	John Hayes
Succeeded by	Gordon Brown
Senator for Western Australia
In office 23 October 1937 – 4 July 1943
Preceded by	Thomas Marwick
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
In office 13 January 1923 – 15 February 1936
Constituency	Kalgoorlie
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
In office 7 July 1916 – 21 May 1922
Constituency	North-East Province
Personal details
Born	(1879-12-28)28 December 1879 Wirrabara, South Australia, Australia
Died	4 July 1943(1943-07-04) (aged 63) Albury, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouse	Alice Daly ​ (m. 1907)​
Occupation	Goldminer

James Cunningham (28 December 1879 – 4 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.[1] 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.[2]

Cunningham had little formal education.[2] He was raised in Melrose, South Australia, but during the Western Australian gold rushes he and his father moved to the Western Australia.[3] After a period in Norseman, he moved to Boulder in 1905.[4]

State politics

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.[2]

In 1936 the Labor Party decided to allow three candidates to stand for the seat of Kalgoorlie, after irregularities were discovered in the pre-selection ballotting process. Cunningham was soundly defeated.[2]

Federal politics

In 1937 he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Labor Senator for Western Australia. In 1940 he was elected Deputy Senate Leader. On 1 July 1941 he was elected President of the Senate, serving until his death in Albury, New South Wales, on 4 July 1943.[5] He was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, after a state funeral.[2]

Personal life

In 1907, Cunningham married Alice Daly, with whom he had three children.[2] He had difficulties with alcohol throughout his parliamentary career and also suffered from silicosis from his time as a miner.[1]

References

1. Browne, Geoff (2004). "Cunningham, James (1879–1943)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
2. Pervan, Ralph (1981). "Cunningham, James (1879–1943)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 8. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
3. "Calling the Senate to Order: W.A's Jim Cunningham Takes The Chair". Smith's Weekly. 19 July 1941.
4. "James Cunningham". Members' biographical register. Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
5. Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2008.

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by John Hayes	President of the Senate 1941–1943	Succeeded by Gordon Brown