John Beals Chandler
Sir John Beals Chandler KBE | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 5th Lord Mayor of Brisbane | |
| In office 1940–1952 | |
| Preceded by | Alfred James Jones |
| Succeeded by | Frank Roberts |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Hamilton | |
| In office 9 October 1943 – 2 May 1947 | |
| Preceded by | Bruce Pie |
| Succeeded by | Harold Taylor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 February 1887 Bunwell, Norfolk, England |
| Died | 21 January 1962 (aged 74) St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Nationality | English |
| Political party | Queensland People's Party |
| Spouse(s) | Lydia Isabel Parish |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Sir John Beals Chandler (21 February 1887 – 19 January 1962) was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1940 to 1952, and the Member for the Legislative Assembly of Queensland district of Hamilton from 1943 to 1947.
Personal life[]
John Beals Chandler was born in Bunwell, Norfolk, England, on 21 February 1887. From a poor family, he left school at the age of 8, and emigrated to Queensland in 1907 to work as a sugarcane cutter.
In 1912 he married Lydia Isabel Parish in Brisbane. They had four sons; two of whom were killed in the World War II: Keith John Chandler (age 21)[1] and Roger Stainforth Chandler (age 25).[2]
Businesses[]
Chandler opened his first hardware store in Elizabeth St, Brisbane in 1913. Chandler increasingly focussed on electrical household appliances and opened a larger store as "J. B. Chandler & Co" in Adelaide St in 1923. This business grew to become the public company Chandlers Pty Ltd, with stores across Queensland and northern NSW, in 1938. Chandlers remained a family-controlled business until 1977.
In 1930 he founded the Brisbane radio station 4BC (4 "Beals Chandler") to stimulate demand for his radio sets. He went on to own various other Queensland radio stations, including 4BH in Brisbane.
Politics[]
Taringa Shire Council[]
Chandler was a councillor for the Shire of Taringa before the 1925 amalgamation to form Brisbane City Council.
Brisbane City Council[]
Chandler was elected Lord Mayor in 1940 as the Citizens' Municipal Organisation (CMO) candidate. He was reelected and served out 4 full terms as Lord Mayor, before being defeated in the 1952 election.
Queensland Legislative Assembly[]
Chandler was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland district of Hamilton as an Independent in 1943. Shortly after his election, he founded the Queensland People's Party. This party later absorbed the Queensland branch of the United Australia Party, and became the Queensland branch of the Liberal Party of Australia in 1948.
Chandler retired from the Legislative Assembly in 1947. He remained Lord Mayor of Brisbane until 1952, the year he was knighted, and remained chairman and managing director of Chandlers until his death.
Later life[]
Chandler died at home in St Lucia, Brisbane in 1962.
Legacy[]
The Brisbane suburb of Chandler was named after him.[3]
See also[]
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1941–1944
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1941–1944
References[]
- ^ "Keith John Chandler". www.awm.gov.au. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ^ "Chandler, Roger". International Bomber Command Centre. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ^ "Chandler (entry 46561)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
External links[]
Media related to John Beals Chandler at Wikimedia Commons
- 1887 births
- 1962 deaths
- Mayors and Lord Mayors of Brisbane
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
- Queensland People's Party politicians
- 20th-century Australian politicians
- People from South Norfolk (district)