Preceded by Thomas Crowley Political party ALP Religion Presbyterian Succeeded by Ray Jones | Resting place Martyn Street Cemetery Occupation Meatworker Party Australian Labor Party | |
Full Name George Walter Gordon Wallace Born 16 January 1900
Queensland, Australia ( 1900-01-16 ) Spouse(s) Lilian May Clark (m.1920 d.1936), Alice May Kiefel (m.1937 d.1977) Died 12 October 1964, Cairns, Australia | ||
George Walter Gordon "Watty" Wallace (16 January 1900 - 12 October 1964) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
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Biography
Wallace was born in Queensland, the son of Charles Wallace and his wife Minnie (née Collins). He was educated at the Mareeba and Chillagoe primary schools before joining the First Australian Imperial Force in 1916. He had put his age up by two years in order to enlist and saw action in France and Belgium with the 7th and 21st Machine Gun Companies.
On his return to Australia he joined the meat industry, working in both Cairns and Gordonvale as a slaughterman and butcher.
On the 7th December 1920 Wallace married Lillian May Clark and together had one son. Lillian died in 1936 and the next year Wallace married Alice May Kiefel (died 1977). He died in October 1964 and was buried in the Martyn Street Cemetery in Cairns.
Public career
Wallace started out in politics as an alderman on the Cairns City Council from 1949 to 1956 and a member of the Cairns Harbour Board from 1952 until 1956. At the 1956 Queensland state election he won the seat of Cairns for the Labor Party, taking over the seat from the retiring member, Thomas Crowley. He represented the electorate until his death in 1964.