Ephraim Mayo Clarke (21 August 1846 – 15 April 1921) was an Australian politician who was a member of the

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

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 1901 until his death, representing South-West Province. He was a minister in the second government of

George Leake George Leake (3 December 1856 – 24 June 1902) was the third Premier of Western Australia, serving from May to November 1901 and then again from December 1901 to his death. Leake was born in Perth, into a prominent local family. Studying la ...

. Clarke was born in

Australind Australind is a town in Western Australia, located 12 km north-east of Bunbury, Western Australia, Bunbury's central business district. Its Local government areas of Western Australia, local government area is the Shire of Harvey. At the 20 ...

, in Western Australia's

South West Southwest is a compass point. Southwest, south-west, south west, southwestern or south-western or south western may also refer to: * Southwest (direction), an intercardinal direction Geography *South West Queensland, Australia *South West (Weste ...

region. He initially worked on his father's property at Australind, but later farmed at his own property, near Harvey. In 1874, Clarke moved to Bunbury, where he was a storekeeper and warehouse owner. He was eventually elected to the

Bunbury Municipal Council The City of Bunbury is a local government area in the South West region of Western Australia, covering an area of along the coast about south of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The City of Bunbury is one of four local governments ...

, and served four periods as Mayor of Bunbury (in 1888, from 1894 to 1897, from 1899 to 1900, and in 1908). Clarke entered parliament at a 1901 Legislative Council by-election, which had been caused by the death of the sitting member, William Spencer (a former mayor of Bunbury). In December 1901, just months after being elected, he was made a

minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

in the Leake ministry. However, George Leake died in June 1902, and Clarke was not retained in the new ministry formed by

Walter James Walter James may also refer to: * Walter James (actor) (1882–1946), American film actor * Walter James (Australian politician) (1863–1943), Australian politician and the fifth Premier of Western Australia * Walter James, 1st Baron Northbourne ...

. After his initial election, Clarke was re-elected four more times (in 1902, 1908, 1914, and 1920), eventually joining the Nationalist Party.Ephraim Mayo Clarke
– Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2016. He died in Bunbury in April 1921, aged 74."DEATH OF MR. E. M. CLARKE."
''

The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...

'', 16 April 1921.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Ephraim 1846 births 1921 deaths Australian people of English descent Mayors of Bunbury, Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council Nationalist Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia People from Bunbury, Western Australia Western Australian local councillors Colony of Western Australia people