Henry John Daniels


Henry John Daniels was a selector and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.

Early days

Daniels was born in Bethnal Green, London, to parents Samuel Daniels and his wife Charlotte. and was educated in London before his arrival in Australia in 1861. After working in the tin mines at Stanthorpe from 1872 - 1874 he selected property at the Clifton Homestead Region, Mt Kent, Darling Downs in 1877. After selecting a large grazing farm at Gindie, in 1895 he transferred his leases in 1904 and moved to Brisbane, where he lived the rest of his life.

Political career

Having been a member of the Queensland Shearers' Union, Daniels, for the Labour Party, represented the seat of Cambooya in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1893 until his defeat in 1899.
He was involved in a scandal in 1902 involving the construction and maintenance of a railway line from Normanton to Cloncurry. His involvement was never proven but it may have hurt his chances at re-election.

Personal life

In 1874, Daniels married Susannah Patterson and together had three sons and three daughters. After Susannah's death he married Alice Chalmers and had two more children.
He died on 12th June 1934 at Dunwich Benevolent Asylum and was buried in Toowong Cemetery.