Alfred James Jones

Early life

Alfred James Jones was born at Gayndah, Queensland, the son of Joseph Jones and his wife Ann (née Stevens). He received a basic education at Burnett State School and became a stockman and miner. He spent a short time teaching, was a Cobb & Co driver and spent six years mining.

He married Martha Elizabeth Leggett in Gayndah on 1 May 1895 and they had five sons and five daughters: Alfred Stevens, Claude Mills, Gladys Mary, Edward Joseph, Nellie Ann Millicent, Ina, Molly Nundah, Burnett Cranbrook, Allan Halley, and Dorothy Clara.

Queensland Legislative Assembly

Jones contested four Legislative Assembly of Queensland seats for the Australian Labor Party, and held three of them. He won Burnett in 1904 with 68% of the vote, but lost the seat after one term and failed to regain it in the 1912 election.

He won Maryborough in 1915 with about 56% of the vote. Jones resigned on 14 February 1917 to enter the upper house, the Queensland Legislative Council.

Queensland Legislative Council

Jones was appointed to the Queensland Legislative Council on 14 February 1917, where he was the representative of the Government and also Minister for Mines.

He resigned from the Legislative Council on 16 September 1920 in order to contest the lower house seat of Carnarvon in 1920 but was not elected, and was returned to the upper house on 21 October 1920. He was one of the last members of the Queensland Legislative Council, as he led the vote to abolish the upper house in 1921, leading to its abolition on 3 March 1922.

Return to Queensland Legislative Assembly

Jones won Paddington in 1922 and held the seat until 1932 when the district was abolished due to redistribution. Jones was Secretary for Mines for most of the period from 1917 to 1929.

Lord Mayor

Jones was Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1934 to 1940. He attempted to solidify the Greater Brisbane vision of the 1925 amalgamation with a large system of civic loans.

1934 Election

With universal suffrage restored to Brisbane City Council elections, Alfred Jones and the Labor Party won easily, picking up 14 of the 20 wards. Once again Brisbane was led by popularly elected Mayor.

1937 Election

Harry Massey the independent Alderman for Toowong was convinced by the conservative Citizens Municipal Organization (CMO) (which was formed on 23 June 1936) to run as their Lord Mayoral candidate for the 1937 election. On 24 April 1937, Jones won easily, increasing his margin of victory. The CMO won two new wards to Labor's one for a net gain of 1 ward.

1940 Election

Allegations that his administration was plagued by accusations of corruption and inefficiency lead to a complete Labor collapse in the 1940 election, when he lost the mayoralty to John Beals Chandler.

Later life

Jones died in Brisbane General Hospital on 7 October 1945. His funeral service was held on 8 October 1945 at St John's Cathedral, after which he was cremated at the Mt Thompson Crematorium.