Walter Parsons (politician)

Walter Langdon Parsons (16 August 1881 – 2 March 1955) was an Australian politician.

Walter Parsons
Member of the Australian Parliament for Angas
In office 14 November 1925 – 12 October 1929
Preceded by	Moses Gabb
Succeeded by	Moses Gabb
Personal details
Born	(1881-08-16)16 August 1881 Adelaide, South Australia
Died	2 March 1955(1955-03-02) (aged 73)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Nationalist Party of Australia
Occupation	Shopkeeper

Parsons was born at North Adelaide, the son of politician John Langdon Parsons and half-brother of Herbert Angas Parsons.[1][2] He was educated at Queen's School, Angaston Public School and Whinham College. He worked for D & W Murray Limited from 1898, and in 1906 became a storekeeper in Gladstone, operating the Gladstone branch of F. C. Catt Specialty Stores. He renamed the store the W. L. Parsons Stores in 1912.[1][3] In local government, Parsons was mayor of the Corporate Town of Gladstone from 1914 to 1916.[4] He attempted to enlist for World War I service on 1 November 1918, but was deferred at the recruiting depot.[5]

Parsons sold his Gladstone stores in 1919 and became a citrus grower at Paradise. In January 1922, he bought E. J. Woodroffe's store in Kadina, and operated it as W. Parsons & Co. until closing the business in December 1925 upon his election to parliament.[6][7] He moved to Haldon Gardens (now in Kensington Park) by 1925, and served as a District Council of Burnside councillor for the Kensington Park Ward. Parsons was also a lay reader of the Anglican Church for over 20 years, a member of the standing committees of the Willochra and later Adelaide dioceses, and a vice-president of the Demobilised Soldiers' Association.[1]

In 1925, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Nationalist member for Angas, defeating sitting Labor MP Moses Gabb.[8] He held the seat until his defeat by Gabb in 1929, whereupon he became an insurance agent. Parsons died in 1955.[9]