George Throssell CMG (1840 - 1910)

Born 23 May 1840 in Cork, County Cork, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Annie Jane (Morrell) Throssell — married 6 Jun 1861 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Descendants

Died 30 Aug 1910 at age 70 in Northam, Western Australia, Australia

Biography

Occupation: 2nd Premier for Western Australia

Date: BET 15 FEB AND 27 MAY 1901

Place: Western Australia

THROSSELL, GEORGE (1840-1910), merchant and premier, was born on 24 May 1840 at Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland, son of (George) Michael Throssell, mail clerk, and his wife Jane. As a guard in the convict transport Scindian.

In 1853 George was a student in the first class at Perth Colonial Boys School and he was awarded equal Fourth Prize for the year.

In February 1859 he was working at Farmaner's & Co in Perth and also was a member of Swan River Mechanic's Institute.

In August 1861 he was agent for the Inquirer & Commercial News in Guildford.

In May 1862 he advertised seeking a position as a Manager of a Country Store. He was fully conversant with book keeping and had been working for 8 years.

In Jun 1862 he had purchased the premises of Mr J Ainsworth in Northam was commencing business as a merchant.

In May 1863 George was appointed Postmaster of Northam taking over from Mr Morrell who had died. Morrell was his father in law.

In 1864 he was granted a wine licence.

In Aug 1864 he was elected Secretary of the newly formed Northam Mechanic's Institute.

Michael brought his family to Western Australia in 1850 and became a sergeant of police in Perth. George was sent to school. With the death of his mother in 1854 and his father in 1855, he found himself rearing a younger brother and sister. He sailed to Adelaide, sent them on to Sydney to be raised by a relation, and returned alone and poor to Perth.

Having joined Walter Padbury's mercantile firm, he spent evenings at the Swan River Literary and Debating Society where Joseph Reilly extended his education. About 1860, while manager of the firm's premises at Guildford, Throssell met Anne Morrell, daughter of an early settler and farmer in the Northam district; George married Anne on 6 June 1861 in St George's [Old] Cathedral, Perth.

Next year Throssell opened his own store in Northam's main street. Combining financial expertise, hard work and drive, he became the region's most successful businessman. He gave credit to small farmers, bought and sold stock, crops and sandalwood, speculated in land and was a building contractor. As the dominating personality in the community life of the district he loved, e dreamed of opening the country to small-farmers. An active Anglican, he was a foundation member of Northam Mechanics' Institute and of the local temperance movement and lodges.

He sat on the School Board, Road Board, Farmers' Club and Settlers' Association. A founder of Northam Municipal Council in 1879, he was Mayor in 1887-94. Partly due to Throssell, Northam gained a branch of the Avon Valley railway in 1886.

From 1890 he represented Northam in the new Legislative Assembly, holding the seat until 1904 and only once being opposed in five elections. He supported (Sir) John Forrest's government and influenced the decision in 1892 to choose Northam as the starting point of the railway to the eastern goldfields. The town grew to be the principal centre of the Avon Valley and that made Throssell wealthy; his enterprises expanded into pastoral and metropolitan ventures. In parliament he advocated land reform, supporting the 1893 Homesteads Act and the 1894 Agricultural Bank Act.

As Commissioner for crown lands from March 1897, he used the 1896 Homesteads Land Purchase Act to enable the government to acquire and subdivide a number of large estates. 'The lion of Northam' had the luxuriant silver hair of a patriarch, a buoyant and assertive optimism and 'a habit of placing a hand on your shoulder when speaking'. He kept a shrewd eye on the main chance. Deafness led him to construct a large cardboard 'sounding board' which he held against his chest with one corner of it in his mouth: he rid himself of tedious deputations by removing it to terminate the interview.

He succeeded Forrest as premier on 15 February 1901, but Throssell's government was short-lived. Although a competent administrator, he was not a strong political leader and his deafness imposed limitations. The factions supporting his party drifted apart and Throssell lost his majority. At the April election many of his followers lost their seats. On 27 May he resigned and returned to the backbench.

Three years later he retired to 'Fermoy', his mansion on the hill overlooking Northam. His wife died in 1906. Next year Throssell won the Legislative Council seat of East Province and in 1909 was appointed C.M.G. He fell down a staircase at his home, jarring his spine, died four days later on 30 August 1910 and was buried in Northam cemetery.

His estate was sworn for probate at 50,879 pounds. He was survived by six daughters and five sons of his fourteen children, the most famous of whom was Hugo Throssell, V.C.

Select Bibliography:

W.B. Kimberly, "History of West Australia"; (Melb, 1897);

Truthful Thomas, "Through the Spy-Glass"; (Perth, 1905);

O.L.B., "George Throssell, an Appreciation"; (Northam, WA, 1910);

J.S. Battye (ed), "Cyclopedia of Western Australia", vol 2 (Adelaide, 1913);

J. Kirwan, "My Life's Adventure"; (Lond, 1936);

D.S. Garden, "Northam, an Avon Valley History"; (Melb, 1979);

"Western Australian Bulletin", 9 June 1888;

"Northam Advertiser", 19 Aug 1905, 23 May 1906, 17 Aug 1907, 31 Aug, 17 Sept 1910;

"Western Mail"; (Perth), 10 Sept 1910;

E. Bartlett-Day, Reminiscences (manuscript, State Library of Western Australia); G. Throssell estate papers (manuscript, State Library of Western Australia);

Donald S. Garden, 'Throssell, George (1840 - 1910)', "Australian Dictionary of Biography", Volume 12, Melbourne University Press, 1990, p. 223.

Sources

• Article. The Perth Gazette 30/12/1853.
• THE LATE MR. GEORGE THROSSEL (1911, January 17). Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA : 1896 - 1916), p. 11. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33385036