Parliament of Tasmania - Biographical Register of Members
Biographical Register of the Tasmanian Parliament 1825-1980
PROPSTING, William Bispham
Schoolteacher, lawyer. B. 4 June 1861 Hob.; s. Henry, convict, butcher, and Hannah, nee Cater; m. (1) 9 May 1893 Kapunda, SA, Caroline Emma Coles; 2s. 2d.; (2) 10 Nov 1925 Hob., Lilias Anne Macfarlane; no children; s.-in-law J. Coles MHA (SA). D. 3 Dec 1937 Hob. Quaker. CMG 1918.
Ed Derwent Sch. Hob.; pupil-teacher SA Ed. Dept 1879, Teachers’ Training Coll., Uni. Adel. Taught Sturt, Kapunda and Burra State Schs SA, resigned 1886; ret. Hob., articled Elliston & Featherstone, solicitors, Tas. Bar Feb 1892, practised Tinning, Propsting & Masters, retired 1937.
Roy. com. Hob. mun. govt 1901. Exec. YMCA Field Services, Tas., trustee Queen Alexandra Hosp.; pres. ANA; Hob. Debating Soc.; Fed. with Safety and Advantage League; pres. TFL 1917-24, Buckingham Bowling Club; Friendly Soc. supporter; Tas. Club (Hob.).
MHA Hobart Feb 1899 (b/e)-April 1903 (district abolished), North Hobart April 1903-March 1906, MLC Hobart Dec 1905 (b/e)-Dec 1937 (Ind) (for a period was member of both HA and LC).
Treas. and Premier April 1903-July 1904, Attorney-Gen. May 1906-June 1909, April 1916-Aug 1922, Attorney-Gen. and Min. Ed. June-Aug 1923. Pres. LC July 1926-Dec 1937; L. Opp. Oct 1901-April 1903, July 1904-Dec 1905.
CT, I, 95; Mercury, 4 Dec 1937;D. Nairn Thorp, ‘Propsting, William Bispham (1861-1937)’, ADB, vol. 11, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/propsting-william-bispham-8123/text14189, accessed 24 March 2014.
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REECE, Eric Elliott
Various occupations. B. 6 July 1909 Mathinna; s. George Owen, miner, and Annabell, nee Featonby; m. 11 Feb 1936 Burnie, Alice Lucy Hanigan; 2s. 2d. D. 23 Oct 1999 Hob. Meth. AC 1975, Hon. LLD (Tas.). Reece HS (Devonport), Reece Dam named after him.
Ed Mathinna, Queenstown, Invermay State Schs, Laun Jr Tech. Sch. Employed mines from 13, worked Magnet, Mathinna, Rossarden, Whyte R., Beaconsfield, Lefroy mines, intermittent work road construction, timber working, farming, shearing, upholstering, also with Tas. Govt Rlwys, unemployed 2 years during Depression, Mt Lyell smelters 1933-35; AWU organiser W. Tas. 1935-46.
Sec. Combined Union Cncl Queenstown. Queenstown Hosp. Bd, Queenstown Med. Funds Bd; JP 1944; State Grants Com. 1976. Tas. ctee Sir Robert Menzies Memorial Trust; chair Blue Gum Festival; Queenstown Brass Band, pres. Hob City Band; Queenstown Recreation Club, Golden Years Club, Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary; Buckingham Rowing Club, Buckingham Bowls Club, Glenorchy Football Club, joint patron Tas. Pacing Club; Assn Consumers Electricity; in favour Aust. republic.
Fed. pres. ALP 1952-53, 1954-55, pres. Tas. ALP 1948-56, 1957-59; chair investigation Vic. ALP 1954; life member ALP.
MHA Darwin (re-named Braddon) Nov 1946-April 1975 (ALP).
Min. Housing Dec 1946-Oct 1947, Min. Housing and Mines Oct-Dec 1947, Min. Lands and Works and Mines Dec 1947-Oct 1956, Min. Lands, Works, Local Govt and Mines Oct 1956-Aug 1958, Premier, Treas. and Min. Admin. Dept Mines Aug-Oct 1958, Premier, Attorney-Gen. and Min. Admin. Dept Mines Oct 1958-Jan 1959, Premier, Attorney-Gen., Min. Admin. Dept Mines, Police and Licensing Jan-May 1959, Premier, Treas., Min. Admin. Dept Mines, and the Racing and Gaming Act 1952 May 1959-May 1969, Premier, Treas. and Min. Mines May-Aug 1972, Premier, Treas., Min. Mines and Attorney-Gen. Aug 1972, Premier, Treas. and Min. Mines Aug 1972-March 1975. L. Opp. 1969-72.
Cont. Darwin (HR) 1940 (ALP), 1943 (ALP).
WWA 1977; Examiner, 25 Oct 1999; J. Koshin, Electric Eric. The Life and Times of Eric Reece an Australian State Premier, Laun, 2009; personal communication.