Bruce, Henry Adam (Harry)
Personal
Birth Date:
16 May 1884 (Wandiligong, Victoria)
Death Date:
11 October 1958 (Canberra, ACT)
Parents:
Ralph Sinclair Bruce and Charlotte (nee Roff)
Family:
Elizabeth Aveline Anderson on 17 February 1920, 2 daughters
Education:
Haileybury College, Victoria
Religion:
Presbyterian
Career
Organiser, Australian Workers Union; Bushworker, Central Queensland; Metallurgist and mining engineer
Parliamentary Representation
| House | Party | Electorate | From | To | Elected/Departure Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | ALP | Kennedy | 12 May 1923 | 11 Jun 1932 | |
| Assembly | ALP | The Tableland | 11 Jun 1932 | 28 Apr 1950 | Did not contest |
Parliamentary Service
| Description | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary for Public Instruction | 15 May 1947 | 10 May 1950 |
| Secretary for Public Instruction | 12 Apr 1938 | 8 Dec 1941 |
| Secretary for Public Works | 17 Jun 1932 | 15 May 1947 |
Additional Information
Notes:
Interests included cricket, tennis and surfing. Mr Bruce was one of Queensland's best amateur heavyweight boxers. Mr Bruce arrived in Queensland in 1902 and headed for Cloncurry, where he established a name for himself in the mining industry. He unsuccessfully contested the federal Senate seat for Queensland on 16 Dec 1922. Mr Bruce retired from state parliament due to ill-health. The Bruce Highway was named after Mr Henry Bruce, who opened the first section of the road in 1934 as then Minister for Public Works. Whilst Minister for Public Instruction, he arranged for a professional tennis coach, Mr D Cameron, to take over the training of the State School Tennis Team to improve their chances in interstate competitions. After announcing his retirement from federal parliament, he was due to give his final speech but collapsed a few hours beforehand from a heart attack at Parliament House, Canberra, on 30 Sep 1958. He was taken to hospital but died on 11 Oct 1958. A state funeral was held for him on 13 Oct 1958 at St Andrew's Church, Brisbane
Sources:
Image courtesy of John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Neg:68294; The Telegraph, 'Talking Tennis: Intensive coaching of State school team. Move sponsored by Mr HA Bruce MLA', 5 Jun 1939.; Queensland Parliamentary Debates, Motion of Condolence, Second session of the 35th Parliament, Vol. 221, 14 Oct 1958, pp. 587-590 (Brisbane, Qld: Government Printer); Brisbane Telegraph, 'State feneral for veteran Labor MHR', 11 Oct 1958, pp. 1 and 3; Queensland Government Gazette, Vol. CXCIX, No. 34, 13 Oct 1958, pp. 525-526 (Brisbane, Qld: Government Printer); Lack, Clem, Three Decades of Queensland Political History, 1929-1960 (Brisbane: Government Printer, 1962); Sunday Mail, 'Whose who', 5 Aug 1979; Alexander, JA, Who's Who in Australia, XIVth edition, 1950, p. 122 (Melbourne, Vic: Colorgravure Publications, The Herald); Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia, Twelfth edition, 1951 to 1956 (Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth Parliamentary Library, 1957)
[Last Modified: Wednesday, 28 June 2017]