Cornthwaite Rason

Who was Cornthwaite Rason?

Sir Cornthwaite Hector William James Rason, better known as Hector Rason, was the seventh Premier of Western Australia.

Hector Rason was born in Cleeve, Somerset in England on 18 June 1858. He was the son of Cornthwaite Hector Rason, a Royal Navy surgeon who was the medical officer at York, Western Australia in 1866 and 1867. Rason was educated at private schools in Eastbourne, Brighton and Reading, and worked as a railway clerk.

In October 1880, Rason emigrated to Perth, Australia, but returned to England after eighteen months. In February 1883, he married Mary E. Terry, and shortly afterwards returned to Western Australia with his wife and her brother, W. R. Terry. Rason and Terry set up business as storekeepers at Toodyay and Guildford, but after a few years Terry returned to England. Rason then went into partnership with a Mr Webster, and attempted to benefit from the gold rushes in the Kimberley and Goldfields regions. Rason also spent some time in Coolgardie trading as a mining engineer and auctioneer. He retired from business in 1891, but was affected by the firm's bankruptcy in 1892. From 1893 to 1895 he was a mining agent and auctioneer in Coolgardie, and in 1896 he moved to Mount Magnet. From 1897 to 1898, Rason was Mayor of Guildford.