James Price
PRICE, James, (1864 – 1910)
James Price was born in Wimbledon, England on August 6, 1864, the eldest son of stone and coal merchant, James Price, and his wife Judith Price, née Joynes. By the age of 16, James Price was working as Coal Merchant’s Clerk and by 1887 as a Coal Merchant. He was also involved with the London Coal Exchange. On June 30, 1887, he married Emma Louise Edgcumbe, in Wimbledon, England and they had one child, a daughter Helen.
In 1891 the family travelled to Renmark in South Australia for health reasons where, in May 1892, James Price became a horticulturalist. He set up an irrigated block growing apricots, lemons and grapes. In 1894, he was the founding Manager and Secretary of the Renmark Irrigation Trust. He was also involved in establishing the Renmark Fruit Packing Union. The family then travelled to Western Australia in 1897.
By August 1898, in partnership with irrigation expert, Arthur Henry Scott, he opened the Fremantle Steam Laundry, located in North Fremantle. The business partnership also provided extensive advice on irrigation, particularly in the south west of WA.
From 1901 to 1905, James Price was a Member of the North Fremantle Council. In October 1905 he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Fremantle. In May 1906, he became the Minister for Works. In July 1909 he resigned from the position of Minster for Works due to ill health, but was retained as an Honorary Minister.
In February 1910, James Price and wife left WA to travel to England, but a heart condition saw him hospitalised en route in Cape Town, South Africa. He died on May 21, 1910, and was survived by his wife and daughter.
James Price Point, north of Broome, is named after James Price.
Reference:
https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/Library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/ScreenMemberBios accessed July 16, 1920
Renmark Pioneer, 15.6.1895, p3
Renmark Pioneer, 26.3.1897, p5
Western Mail, 21.10.1905, p28
West Australian, 15.8.1907, p6
West Australian, 23.5.1910, p2
