Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harry was the fourth of six children of William Henry Walker (born 1833 in Lincolnshire, England) and Charlotte Caroline Stocker (born 1841 in London, England). William immigrated in 1838 with his parents, arriving in Adelaide, South Australia on board the Lord Goderich. Charlotte was five years of age when her family arrived in Adelaide, South Australia in 1846 on board the Abberton. William and Charlotte married in Adelaide in 1866 and moved to Gympie, QLD following discovery of the goldfields there. William and Charlotte settled at One Mile Creek near Gympie, where William worked as an Ironmonger. William was an Alderman for the Municipality of Gympie from 1883 to 1885, and served on the Gympie Hospital Committee and Gympie Drainage Board, and was Director of several Gold Mines (Gympie Times, 1903). He also speculated in various mining ventures.

In 1894 Harry married Rosanna Agnes Martin (born 1876 in Cumberland, England). Harry was a member of the QLD Jubilee Light Horse contingent in London in 1897, and in 1899 enlisted with the QLD Mounted Infantry, serving as a Sergeant (Service No:172) in South Africa (Murray, p451) until he was invalided home on 18 August 1900. Brother Arthur Lamb Walker (Service No:1927) served with the Camel Corps in WWI.

Harry worked as an Engine Driver in the Gympie gold mines at Jones Hill before becoming a Farmer at Coles Creek in Gympie, QLD in 1904. He moved his family to Tewantin, where he was a Farmer, Director of the Wide Bay Co-Operative Dairy Association and QLD representative on the Butter Board.

Harry served as a Member of Parliament for forty four years - most of them in opposition. He was the Representative for Wide Bay from 1907 to 1912, and Member for Cooroora from 1912 to 1947. He served as Secretary for Agriculture and Stock from 1929 to 1932, and 'in recognition of his long and faithful service in Parliament', Harry was awarded a State funeral when he died in 1950 (Nambour Chronicle, 1950; p 6). Rosanna died in 1961