Date of Birth: 29/05/1871
Place of Birth: Shankhouse, Northumberland, England
Date of Death: 18/10/1948
Place of Death: Strathfield, New South Wales , Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Acting Minister for Labour and Industry |
08 Mar 1927 |
26 May 1927 |
2 months 19 days |
|
| Minister for Local Government |
17 Jun 1925 |
24 Mar 1926 |
9 months 8 days |
|
| Minister for Public Health |
17 Jun 1925 |
26 May 1927 |
1 year 11 months 10 days |
|
| Member for St George |
30 May 1925 |
07 Sep 1927 |
2 years 3 months 9 days |
|
| Member for St George |
25 Mar 1922 |
18 Apr 1925 |
3 years 25 days |
|
| Secretary for Mines and Minister for Local Government |
10 Oct 1921 |
20 Dec 1921 |
2 months 11 days |
|
| Secretary for Mines and Minister for Labour and Industry |
13 Apr 1920 |
10 Oct 1921 |
1 year 5 months 28 days |
|
| Member for St George |
20 Mar 1920 |
17 Feb 1922 |
1 year 10 months 29 days |
|
| Member for Canterbury |
24 Mar 1917 |
18 Feb 1920 |
2 years 10 months 26 days |
|
| Application of Micheal Devitt for a Mining Lease at the Peaks Committee No. 11 |
10 Aug 1915 |
13 Apr 1916 |
8 months 4 days |
|
| Military and Naval Hospital Home Bill Committee No. 9 |
22 Jul 1915 |
13 Apr 1916 |
8 months 23 days |
|
| Library Committee No. 6 |
02 Jul 1915 |
13 Apr 1916 |
9 months 12 days |
|
| The Governor's Opening Speech Committee No. 1 |
15 Jun 1915 |
13 Apr 1916 |
9 months 30 days |
|
| Member for Canterbury |
10 Oct 1914 |
21 Feb 1917 |
2 years 4 months 12 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly |
10 Oct 1914 |
07 Sep 1927 |
12 years 10 months 29 days |
|
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Member of central executive 1915 - 1916; whip 1918 - 1920; on committee of ALP Returned Soldiers and Sailors Political League in 1919; expelled from the ALP in 1927; stood for the Nationalist Party in 1930.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Miner. Educated at national school in Cramlington, England. At age eleven worked at Hartford Colliery. Member of Northumberland Miners' Association; arrived in New South Wales in 1900, worked in western coalfields, including Oakey Park Mine at Lithgow; president of the Western Miners Association from 1905 until 1907; trustee of the National Park, president in 1932; director of Prince Alfred Hospital from 1922 until 1927; Freemason
Military Service
Served in the Australian Infantry Forces from 1916 until 1917, 30th Battalion, Sergeant
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Member of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. Member of the House of Representatives for Nepean 1910 - 1913.
Local Government Activity
Alderman at Lithgow 1910 - 1913
Personal
Son of Richard Cann, miner, and Rebecca Sowden. Married Catherine Roberts on 8 March 1890 and had issue, 1 daughter and 1 son. Methodist. Burial in Methodist cemetery at Homebush.
