John Thomson

Who was John Thomson?

John Thomson was an Australian politician. Born near Taree, New South Wales, he received a primary education before becoming a shopkeeper and grazier at Taree. He was an alderman on Taree Council before becoming a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1901–04, representing Manning for the Progressive Party. In 1906, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as a Protectionist, defeating Henry Lee of the Anti-Socialist Party for the seat of Cowper. In 1909 he became a member of the Commonwealth Liberal Party, the result of a fusion between the Protectionists and the Anti-Socialists. In 1917 he became a member of the Liberal Party's successor, the Nationalist Party of Australia. He was defeated in 1919 by future Prime Minister Earle Page, of the Farmers and Settlers Association, who joined the Country Party when it was formed in 1920. Thomson retired from politics and died in 1934.