Thomas Bakhap

Thomas Bakhap
Thomas Bakhap
Senator for Tasmania
	In office; 1 July 1913 – 18 August 1923
Succeeded by	John Hayes
Personal details
Born	29 October 1866; Ballaarat, Victoria
Died	18 August 1923 (aged 56); Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Political party	Liberal (1913–17); Nationalist (1917–23)
Occupation	Politician

Thomas Jerome Kingston Bakhap (29 October 1866 – 18 August 1923) was an Australian politician. He was born in Ballarat, Victoria, the adoptive son of a Chinese immigrant, Bak Hap.^[1] He received no formal education but became a shopworker, and was later a tin miner at Lottah, Tasmania. In 1909, he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Bass.^[2] In 1913, he transferred to federal politics, winning a Tasmanian Senate seat as a member of the Commonwealth Liberal Party. He was Chairman of Committees from July 1920 to June 1923.^[3] Bakhap died in August 1923; John Hayes was appointed to replace him.^[4] Bakhap was fluent in Cantonese. He advocated for the Chinese community when Chinese Australians encountered problems arising from the application of the White Australia Policy. He visited China in 1922^[5] as a representative of the Australian government, and by that time was recognised as the parliament's pre-eminent expert in Chinese and South-East Asian affairs.^[6]

References

^ National Museum of Australia: Harvest of Endurance Scroll – Thomas Jerome Bakhap profile, nma.gov.au. Accessed 3 August 2023.
^ "Thomas Jerome Kingston Bakhap". Members of the Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
^ "Appendix 3―Deputy Presidents and Chairmen of Committees (1901–2009)". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
^ The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins, James Jupp, Cambridge University Press, 2001
^ Rubinstein, Hilary (2000). "Bakhap, Thomas Jerome Kingston (1866–1923)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 2 February 2020.

[NMA-1] National Museum of Australia: Harvest of Endurance Scroll – Thomas Jerome Bakhap profile, nma.gov.au. Accessed 3 August 2023.

[Thomas_Bakhap_Tas_parl-2] "Thomas Jerome Kingston Bakhap". Members of the Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 26 July 2022.

[3] "Appendix 3―Deputy Presidents and Chairmen of Committees (1901–2009)". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2017.

[Psephos-4] Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 23 November 2008.

[5] The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins, James Jupp, Cambridge University Press, 2001

[Senate-6] Rubinstein, Hilary (2000). "Bakhap, Thomas Jerome Kingston (1866–1923)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 2 February 2020.

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