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The First Parliament of Australia

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The First Parliament of Australia
Page title
William Henry Groom (1833-1901)
Owner / publisher
Parliament of Australia

Parliament of Australia online exhibition with short biographies of the members of the first federal Parliament, 1901.

Cited by

The First Parliament of Australia Section Members Secondary

For “Member for Darling Downs, Australian House of Representatives” FROM MAR 1901 TO 8 AUG 1901 of William Henry Groom

"In March 1901 he successfully stood as a Protectionist for the seat of Darling Downs in the House of Representatives at the first federal election. Already in his late sixties at the time of election, and with many years of parliamentary experience behind him, Groom was invited to speak first in the Address-in-Reply to the Governor-General on the first day of sitting. He died in August that year, the first member of the federal Parliament to die in office."

Parliament of Australia exhibition page. Wikipedia supplies the remaining clause: "Groom was elected as a Protectionist to the Darling Downs electorate at the inaugural Australian federal election in 1901, becoming the only transported convict to ever sit as a member of the Australian Parliament." The date is given as a month because the sources give March rather than a day.