Harold William Crommelin (9 April 1903 – 20 May 1998) was an Australian businessman and politician who was a

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

member of the Legislative Assembly of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

from 1956 to 1968, representing the seat of Claremont.

Early life and career

Crommelin was born in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

to Annie Florence (née Loton) and Reginald Crommelin. His maternal grandfather was Sir William Loton, a member of parliament and Mayor of Perth. Crommelin attended

Toowoomba Grammar School Toowoomba Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding grammar school for boys, in East Toowoomba, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. Toowoomba Grammar was established in 1875, the third school to be ...

(in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

) and

Hale School Hale School is an independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Named after the school founded by Bishop Mathew Blagden Hale in 1858, Hale School claims to ...

, and after leaving school worked as a farmer, eventually purchasing his own property near Pingelly. He later worked as a car salesman and accounting clerk, eventually becoming a partner in a clothing firm. During World War II, his company made

greatcoats A greatcoat (also watchcoat) is a large, woollen overcoat designed for warmth and protection against wind and weather, and features a collar that can be turned up and cuffs that can be turned down to protect the face and the hands, while the sh ...

for the army. Crommelin was elected to the South Ward of the Claremont Municipal Council in 1953, and would serve as a councillor until 1963.Harold William Crommelin
Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 16 September 2016. At the 1956 state election, Crommelin won the seat of Claremont, defeating two other Liberal candidates. One of those was the incumbent member, Charles North, who had held the seat for 32 years and was also a former

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is a title commonly held by presiding officers of parliamentary bodies styled legislative assemblies. The office is most widely used in state and territorial legislatures in Australia, and in provincial and terr ...

. Crommelin was re-elected unopposed at the 1959 election and was subsequently made deputy chairman of committees in the Legislative Assembly. He held that position until his retirement at the 1968 election, which coincided with an electoral redistribution that abolished the seat of Claremont. Crommelin died in Perth in May 1998, aged 95. At the time of his death, only one other MP in Western Australia (Sir Leslie Diver) had lived to a greater age.''The Western Australian Parliamentary Handbook (Twenty-Third Edition)''
, p. 242. Crommelin had married Peggy Noreen Taylor in 1926, with whom he had two sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crommelin, Bill 1903 births 1998 deaths Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly People educated at Toowoomba Grammar School People educated at Hale School Politicians from Perth, Western Australia Western Australian local councillors