{{Short description|Australian politician and businessman (1865–1954)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Nat Harper | image = | office = Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly | constituency = Beverley (1910–1911)<br>Pingelly (1911–1914) | term_start = 16 August 1910 | term_end = 21 October 1914 | predecessor = John Marquis Hopkins | successor = Henry Hickmott | birth_name = Nathaniel White Harper | birth_date = {{birth date|1865|3|18|df=yes}} | birth_place = Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | death_date = {{death date and age|1954|1|3|1865|3|18|df=yes}} | death_place = West Perth, Western Australia, Australia | party = Liberal | spouse = {{marriage|Margaret Jane Thomas|19 September 1891|15 December 1921|end=died}} <br /> {{marriage|Olive Estelle Story|5 February 1924}} | children = 5 | profession = Mine manager, investor | relatives = Bill Grayden (grandson) <br /> David Grayden (grandson) | resting_place = Karrakatta Cemetery }}
'''Nathaniel White Harper''' (18 March 1865 – 3 January 1954) was an Australian politician and businessman. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1910 until 1914, representing the seats of Beverley and Pingelly. He was the grandfather of politicians David Grayden and Bill Grayden.
==Early life== Nathaniel White Harper was born on 18 March 1865 in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom to John Harper, a farmer, and Margaret Harper (née White).<ref name="WA Parliament">{{cite web |title=Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia: Nathaniel White Harper |url=https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/(Lookup)/3E2CE91BD4B8263E482577E50028A634 |website=Parliament of Western Australia |access-date=16 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116171850/https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/(Lookup)/3E2CE91BD4B8263E482577E50028A634?OpenDocument |archive-date=16 November 2023 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Australian Dictionary of Biography">{{cite web |last1=Hoddinott |first1=Ann |title=Nathaniel White Harper (1865–1954) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harper-nathaniel-white-6571 |website=Australian Dictionary of Biography |publisher=Australian National University |access-date=16 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203044010/https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harper-nathaniel-white-6571 |archive-date=3 December 2023 |language=en |date=2006 |url-status=live}}</ref>
==Mining career== Harper emigrated to New Zealand in 1883 where he worked in a gold mine in Otago. In 1887 he moved to Australia, working mines in Broken Hill, New South Wales and earning the position of mine foreman. From there, he went on to manage a mine in Zeehan, Tasmania. Harper arrived in Western Australia in 1892, managing mines first at Fraser's mine in Southern Cross and later at the White Feather Main Reef in Kanowna.<ref name="WA Parliament" /><ref name="Australian Dictionary of Biography" />
==Political career== Harper was mayor of Kanowna three times between 1897 and 1901.<ref name="WA Parliament" /><ref name="Pingelly Leader 5 Aug 10">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article210217099 |title=Mr. Nat. Harps. |newspaper=The Pingelly Leader |volume=3 |issue=154 |location=Pingelly |date=5 August 1910 |accessdate=17 May 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref name="Beverley Times 6 Aug 10">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article200737436 |title=Mr. Hat Harper. |newspaper=The Beverley Times |volume=VI |issue=259 |location=Beverley |date=6 August 1910 |accessdate=17 May 2024 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1897, he stood for election in the seat of North-East Coolgardie, losing to Frederick Vosper by 53 votes.<ref name="WA Parliament" /><ref name="Beverley Times 6 Aug 10" /><ref name="West Australian 1 Jan 10">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26246220 |title=FEDERAL ELECTIONS. |newspaper=The West Australian |volume=XXVI |issue=7415 |location=Perth |date=1 January 1910 |accessdate=17 May 2024 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
His next foray into politics was more successful, with Harper winning the seat of Beverley in the Legislative Assembly in a 1910 by-election. He defeated opponent Walter James by 92 votes.<ref name="Evening Star 17 Aug 10">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203505584 |title=BEVERLEY ELECTION |newspaper=The Evening Star |volume=13 |issue=3824 |location=Boulder |date=17 August 1910 |accessdate=17 May 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The by-election was called following the imprisonment of the incumbent, John Hopkins, which rendered the seat vacant.<ref name="Albany Advertiser 20 Apr 10">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69953630 |title=The Beverley Electorate. |newspaper=The Albany Advertiser |volume=XXII |issue=2836 |location=Albany |date=20 April 1910 |accessdate=17 May 2024 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Harper was again elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 1911 election, this time for the Pingelly seat.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70100055 |title=The New Assembly. |newspaper=The Albany Advertiser |volume=XXIV |issue=2989 |location=Albany |date=11 October 1911 |accessdate=17 May 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He served a full term and stood again at the 1914 election this time being defeated by Henry Hickmott of the Country Party, 889 votes to 657.<ref name="WA Parliament" /><ref name="Register 24 Oct 14">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59264351 |title=WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS. |newspaper=The Register |volume=LXXIX |issue=21203 |location=Adelaide |date=24 October 1914 |accessdate=17 May 2024 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
<!--- ==Business career== ---> ==Personal life== Harper married Margaret Jane Thomas on 19 September 1891 at her family home in Naseby. The couple has two sons and a daughter. Margaret died on 15 September 1921.<ref name="WA Parliament" /><ref name="Australian Dictionary of Biography" />
On 5 September 1924 Harper married his second wife, Olive Estelle Story at Scots Church in Melbourne, Victoria.<ref name="WA Parliament" /><ref name="Australian Dictionary of Biography" /> <!--- ==Death==
==Biography== Harper was born near Ballymena, Northern Ireland, to John Harper, a farmer, and Margaret (née White), and was educated locally for six months in the year while working on his father's potato fields. In 1883, he moved to New Zealand where he worked in a gold mine in the Central Otago region and gaining experience in hydraulic sluicing. In 1887, he commenced work with BHP in Broken Hill, where he rose to the position of mine foreman. Two years later, he moved once again to Zeehan, Tasmania, where he worked as a mine manager while also being the vice-president of the local miners' union. On 19 September 1891, he married Margaret Jane Thomas at her family home at Naseby, New Zealand, then in 1892 moved to Southern Cross, Western Australia, as manager of Fraser's mine. In May 1895, he took up management of the White Feather Main Reef at Kanowna, and in 1897, after an unsuccessful attempt the previous year, was elected mayor of the town, a position he would hold until 1901. Also in 1897, at the state election held that year, he ran unsuccessfully against Frederick Vosper for the North-East Coolgardie seat.<ref name=adb>{{Australian Dictionary of Biography|last=Hoddinott |first= Ann |year= 1983 |id= A090202b |title= Harper, Nathaniel White (1865 - 1954) |accessdate= 2008-08-19}}</ref><ref name=blackbolton>{{Black and Bolton 2001}}</ref> --->
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{trove person|1465875}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|au-wa-la}} {{succession box | title=Member for Pingelly | before=Electoral district created | years=1911–1914 | after=Henry Hickmott}} {{succession box | title=Member for Beverley | before=John Hopkins | years=1910–1911 | after=Frank Broun}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Harper, Nathaniel White}} Category:1865 births Category:1954 deaths Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly Category:Burials at Karrakatta Cemetery Category:People from Ballymena Category:Australian mining engineers