Ernest Grimstone

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}

{{Use Australian English|date=May 2015}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Ernest Grimstone

|honorific-suffix =

|image = Ernest Lancelot Grimstone - Queensland politician.jpg

|caption = Ernest Lancelot Grimstone in military uniform, 1917

| constituency_AM1 = Stanley

| assembly1 = Queensland Legislative

| term_start1 = 22 February 1928

| term_end1 = 22 October 1933

| predecessor1 = Frederick Nott

| successor1 = Roy Bell

|birth_date = 1883

|birth_place = Mackay, Queensland, Australia

|death_date = 22 October 1933 (aged 49 or 50)

|death_place = Esk, Queensland, Australia

|restingplace = Toowong Cemetery

|birthname = Ernest Lancelot Grimstone

|nationality = Australian

|party = Country and Progressive National Party

|otherparty =

|spouse = Georgina Mayne Raine (m.1909 d.1973)

|children =

|occupation = School teacher

| relations =

| alma_mater =

}}

Ernest Lancelot Grimstone (1883 – 22 October 1933) was an Australian politician. He was a Country and Progressive National Party member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1928 until 1933, representing the electorate of Stanley.

Grimstone was born and educated in Mackay. He worked for the North Eton Sugar Milling Company after leaving school, but became a career teacher with the Queensland Department of Education after 1904. He taught at Ulam, near Rockhampton, Windorah West, Forsayth and Springsure, before being appointed headmaster at Yarraman Creek State School. While teaching on the Darling Downs, he also farmed experimental lots, mainly dealing in wheat and corn.{{cite web | url=https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3587747797 | title=Grimstone, Ernest Lancelot | publisher=Parliament of Queensland | work=Former Members | accessdate=30 April 2015 | archive-date=7 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307084700/https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3587747797 | url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21965928 |title=Seeking Seats |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=26 May 1932 |accessdate=30 April 2015 |page=14 |via=Trove |archive-date=4 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404114802/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21965928 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1133466 |title=Had Seizure |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=23 October 1933 |accessdate=30 April 2015 |page=12 |via=Trove}}

Grimstone enlisted to fight during World War I, training at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and being commissioned as a lieutenant. He subsequently served with the 9th Battalion in France from May to November 1918. Following the end of the war, he returned to Yarraman, where he became involved in the local community, serving as chairman of the local ambulance committee and as vice-president of the local branch of the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland.{{cite web | url=https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1853759/ | title=Ernest Lancelot Grimstone | publisher=Australian War Memorial | work=First World War Embarkation Rolls | accessdate=30 April 2015 | archive-date=4 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060514/https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1853759/ | url-status=live }}

He was elected to the Legislative Assembly at a 1928 by-election, following the death of the incumbent member, Frederick Nott, defeating former MP and independent candidate, Henry Somerset, by 520 votes. Grimstone was re-elected by a much larger margin at the 1929 state election without Somerset on the ballot.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21405271 |title=Polling Summary |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=13 May 1929 |accessdate=30 April 2015 |page=15 |via=Trove |archive-date=28 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328014800/http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21405271 |url-status=live }} When the Country and Progressive National Party (CPNP) won the 1932 state election under Arthur Moore, Grimstone was appointed to the panel of temporary Chairman of Committees and as assistant secretary of the Country Party group of government members. The Courier-Mail reported that Grimstone was a "popular member on both sides of the House" and that "his tolerance and his broadmindedness won him popularity".

Grimstone suffered a seizure at Toogoolawah in 1933, from which he never fully recovered. He suffered a further seizure while on a visit to Esk in October, and died at the Esk Hospital on 22 October without regaining consciousness. Labor leader William Forgan Smith expressed shock at Grimstone's sudden death, because it had been reported that his health was improving. Grimstone was buried at Toowong Cemetery.[https://online.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cemeteries/cemeteries_step3.jsp?mapdisplay=184899 Grimstone Ernest Lancelot]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} — Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search. Retrieved 3 May 2015. The resulting by-election was easily won by CPNP candidate, Roy Bell, in the absence of a Labor candidate.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51848853 |title=Queensland By-Election. |newspaper=The Examiner |location=Launceston, Tas. |date=11 December 1933 |accessdate=30 April 2015 |page=7 Edition: Daily |via=Trove |archive-date=4 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404114829/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/51848853 |url-status=live }}