George Throssell

Who was George Throssell?

George Lionel Throssell, CMG was the second Premier of Western Australia. He served for just three months, from 15 February 1901 until 27 May 1901 during a period of great instability in Western Australian politics.

George Throssell was born at Fermoy, County Cork in Ireland on 23 May 1840. The son of a pensioner guard, he came to Western Australia on board the Scindian in 1850 with his parents, and was educated at the Perth Public School. He began his own business as a produce merchant in the town of Northam in 1861 and served as the Northam postmaster from 1864 to 1874. Throssell became owner of a flour mill, farms and a chain of shops, and was active in the Northam community. He was first elected to the Northam Municipal Council in 1880, of which he was Chairman until 1883 and again from 1885 to 1887. He subsequently served as Mayor of Northam for broken periods until 1894. Throssell was popularly known as "the lion of Northam", and was Northam's first citizen in 1890 when was elected unopposed to the Legislative Assembly seat of Northam.

In 1897 Throssell joined Sir John Forrest's government as Commissioner of Crown Lands, a key responsibility in a rapidly developing colony.