Charles Sommers (20 January 1862 – 19 March 1922) was an Australian businessman and politician who was a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1900 to 1918. He was a minister in the first government of George Leake.

Charles Sommers
Member of the Legislative Council
of Western Australia
In office
14 May 1900 – 21 May 1906
Preceded byHarold Parsons
Succeeded byThomas Brimage
ConstituencyNorth-East Province
In office
22 May 1906 – 21 May 1918
Preceded bySir George Shenton
Succeeded byHenry Saunders
ConstituencyMetropolitan Province
Personal details
Born(1862-01-20)20 January 1862
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Died19 March 1922(1922-03-19) (aged 60)
Cottesloe, Western Australia, Australia

Sommers was born in Geelong, Victoria, and attended Geelong Grammar School. After a period farming at Bendigo, he went to Morwell (in the Gippsland region). Sommers was elected to the Traralgon Shire Council in 1883, aged only 21. He returned to Geelong in 1886, and was elected to the Geelong Municipal Council, serving until 1894.[1] The following year, Sommers left for Western Australia and settled in Coolgardie, where he had interests in various mines and was the managing director of a hotel that had previously been owned by his brother. He was elected mayor of the Coolgardie Municipality in 1899, and would serve until 1903.[2]

Sommers was elected to parliament at the 1900 Legislative Council elections, replacing Harold Parsons (a former mayor of Kalgoorlie) in North-East Province. In May 1901, following the 1901 state election, Sommers was appointed Minister for Lands in the new ministry formed by George Leake. He served only until November of the same year, when Leake was replaced as premier by Alf Morgans. At the 1906 Legislative Council elections, Sommers transferred to Metropolitan Province, succeeding the retiring Sir George Shenton. He was re-elected in 1912, but in 1918 was defeated by Henry Saunders. Sommers died in Perth in 1922, aged 60. He had married Agnes Donaldson in 1886, with whom he had four children.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ "MR. CHARLES SOMMERS, MINISTER FOR LANDS.", The Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth), 31 May 1901.
  2. ^ a b Charles Sommers – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
Parliament of Western Australia
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Lands
1901
Succeeded by