George Barnes (Australian politician)
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = George Barnes
|honorific-suffix =
|image = George Powell Barnes - Queensland politician.png
|caption =
|constituency_AM1 = Warwick
|assembly1 = Queensland Legislative
|term_start1 = 5 February 1908
|term_end1 = 11 May 1935
|predecessor1 = Thomas O'Sullivan
|successor1 = John Healy
|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1856|9|20}}
|birth_place = Castlemaine, Colony of Victoria
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1949|12|9|1856|9|20}}
|death_place = Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
|restingplace = Warwick Cemetery{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49695795 |title=Family Notices. |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=10 December 1949 |accessdate=27 January 2015 |page=16 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
|birthname = George Powell Barnes
|nationality = Australian
|party = Ministerialist
|otherparty = Liberal Party, National Party, Country and Progressive National Party
|spouse = Mary Cecilia Merry (m.1879 d.1942)
|alma_mater =
|occupation = Businessman
|relations = Hiram Barnes (father), Walter Barnes (brother)
}}
George Powell Barnes (20 September 1856 – 9 December 1949), generally referred to by his full name or as "George P. Barnes",Most likely to distinguish him in newspaper reports from his contemporary, the prominent British parliamentarian George Barnes. was a Queensland businessman and politician.
Early life
George was a son of Cobb and Co. pioneer Hiram Barnes and a brother of Walter Barnes MLA.
Business interests
George Barnes started the company Barnes and Company Limited in 1880 in association with his brother, Walter Henry Barnes and Mr TF Merry. Merry was a storekeeper in Toowoomba, with whom George worked earlier and whose daughter, Mary Cecelia was married to George in 1879. Barnes and Co was formed to control businesses in Warwick, Allora, Yangan and Roma Street and Commonwealth Flour Mills at Warwick and South Brisbane.{{cite QHR|15731|Barnes and Co. Trading Place|600956|accessdate=1 August 2014}}
He was a leading figure in the Warwick Methodist Church and the Warwick Ambulance Brigade.
Politics
Family
He married Mary Cecilia Merry (ca.1858 – 3 October 1942) of Bulimba, Queensland in 1879. She was active in the local Methodist Church, Red Cross Society and Benevolent Society; they had a home "Glen Lyn" in Warwick.
A son, Franklin George Barnes (ca.1883 – ) was a mining engineer who devised and patented a method for degaussing British ships to counter the threat of magnetic mines in the early days of World War II.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article41943188 |title=Outwitted Nazis. |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=2 August 1941 |accessdate=11 May 2014 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48742837|title=Inventor of Degaussing Device Describes Famous Safeguard|date=4 February 1942|newspaper=The Advertiser|accessdate=23 January 2018|issue=26001|location=Adelaide, South Australia|volume=LXXXIV|page=8|via=National Library of Australia}}
Another son, Cecil Merry Barnes, lost his life savings when his company, Barnes Ltd. of Fortitude Valley was forced into liquidation. G. P. Barnes felt his son's failure acutely, and personally paid out the company's preference shareholders.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40855508 |title=Lost £16,000, Is Now Selling Flour. |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=4 August 1939 |accessdate=11 May 2014 |page=9 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Legacy
The former Barnes and Co. Trading Place in Warwick is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.
Notes
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-qld }}
{{s-bef | before = Thomas O'Sullivan}}
{{s-ttl |title = Member for Warwick|years=1908–1935}}
{{s-aft | after = John Healy}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Walter}}
Category:Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Category:Australian businesspeople
Category:National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Queensland