Kenneth Morris (politician)

Sir Kenneth James Morris, KBE, CMG (22 October 1903 – 1 June 1978) was an Australian politician who served as Deputy Premier of Queensland from 1957 to 1962.

Sir
Kenneth Morris
KBE, CMG
Morris (left) in 1959
Senator for Queensland
In office
30 November 1963 – 30 June 1968
Preceded byGeorge Whiteside
17th Deputy Premier of Queensland
In office
3 August 1957 – 26 September 1962
PremierFrank Nicklin
Preceded byTed Walsh
Succeeded byAlan Munro
Minister for Labour and Industry
In office
12 August 1957 – 28 December 1962
PremierFrank Nicklin
Preceded byArthur Jones
Succeeded byAlex Dewar
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Queensland
In office
12 August 1954 – 3 August 1957
LeaderFrank Nicklin
Preceded byThomas Hiley
Succeeded byEric Lloyd
Leader of the Queensland Liberal Party
Elections: 1956, 1957, 1960
In office
12 August 1954 – 26 September 1962
DeputyAlan Munro
Preceded byThomas Hiley
Succeeded byAlan Munro
Deputy Leader of the
Queensland Liberal Party
In office
31 May 1950 – 12 August 1954
LeaderThomas Hiley
Preceded byCharles Wanstall
Succeeded byAlan Munro
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Mount Coot-tha
Enoggera (1944–1950)
In office
15 April 1944 – 1 June 1963
Preceded byGeorge Taylor
Succeeded byBill Lickiss
Personal details
Born(1903-10-12)12 October 1903
Brisbane, Queensland
Died1 June 1978(1978-06-01) (aged 74)
Chermside, Brisbane, Queensland
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLiberal Party
Other political
affiliations		Queensland People's Party (1944–1949)
SpouseEttie Louise Dunlop
ChildrenBarbara Morris, David Morris, Grant Morris, Bruce Morris
Alma materBrisbane Grammar School
OccupationShoe/Boot Manufacturer, Grazier
Military service
Branch/serviceAustralian Army
Years of service1939–1944
RankMajor

Early life

Born in Brisbane,[1] he was educated at Brisbane Grammar School before becoming the director of his family's boot manufacturing firm. In 1931, he married Ettie Louise Dunlop.[2]

Morris served in the military 1939–1944, in Britain (1940), Tobruk (1941) and Egypt (1942); rising to the rank of Major.[2]

Political career

A founding member of the Liberal Party in Queensland, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland in 1944 as the member for Enoggera,[1] transferring to Mount Coot-tha in 1950.[1] Morris was state Leader of the Liberal Party 1954–1962, Deputy Premier 1957–1962, and Minister for Labour and Industry 1957–1962.[1]

He stepped down as leader in August 1962 and as Deputy Premier in September due to health reasons, and moved to Cooktown where he cultivated legume seed.[3][2] In December 1963, he won a special election for a Senate seat in Queensland, filling the vacancy caused by the death of Labor Senator Max Poulter and to which George Whiteside had been appointed. Morris defeated Whiteside 50.6% to 49.4%.[4] He retired in 1967.[5]

Personal life

Morris died in 1978 at Chermside, Brisbane.[2]

References
  1. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  2. Stevenson, Brian F (2000). "Morris, Sir Kenneth James (1903–1978)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 15. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  3. "The Ayes Have It: The history of the Queensland Parliament, 1957–1989" (PDF). 2010. pp. 87, 88. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  4. Carr, Adam (2008). "1963 Senate: Queensland special election". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  5. Drinkwater, Derek (2010). "MORRIS, Sir Kenneth James (1903–1978)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 8 January 2023.


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