Fred ILLINGWORTH

ILLINGWORTH, FRED (b. Little Horton, Yorkshire, England, 24 Sept 1844; d. Brighton, Vie, 8 Sept 1908). Orator and legislator.

The son of James Illingworth, a woolcomber, and Sarah, née Irving, Fred Illingworth arrived in Vic in 1848 with them. His early employment was in ironmongery; he prospered as an estate agent and speculator in the 1870s, but suffered from bad seasons (1883) and the collapse in Melbourne land values (1890). With liabilities of £283 000 he moved to WA and set up again as a land agent.

Illingworth combined these boom time commercial pursuits with regular gospel preaching. The newer, smaller churches were greatly helped by his voluntary preaching, including Churches of Christ in Bendigo and South Melbourne which owed their survival and growth to his tireless energy and ability as a speaker. He was a gifted orator but was also an exponent of the written word. He rendered valuable assistance for many years as editor of, and contributor to, Victorian Christian publications. He was elected a Victorian MLC 1889.

In WA he was soon active in mines and polities. MLA in 1894, he was a critic of John Forrest and leader of the opposition from 1900. He served as colonial secretary and treasurer in the Leake governments 1901 and 1902, presenting an optimistic, pro-development budget.

Among Illingworth's passions was a strong advocacy of the temperance movement. A lifelong abstainer, he used both church and political platforms in advocating social reform in this area. His sincerity and notable speaking ability helped this cause considerably. By contrast, he never wavered in his opposition to votes for women.

Although a busy man with a prominent public and political program he gave himself unstintingly in Christian service, giving time, talent and money to the churches in WA. He became the third Conference president of Churches of Christ. In addition to strongly supporting churches in the metropolitan area he was keen to see the cause developed in the growing mining centres.

Bolton (ADB 9) assessed him as 'too much a man of detail to fill the vacuum left by Forrest' when the latter entered federal polities. Seen from the context of the Christian community, however, he was a man of great gifts and strong convictions. All that he owned was at the service of others, especially through the work of the church.

His son Arthur, Perth businessman and a faithful member of the Perth Church of Christ, was an able and gifted preacher who freely served the Perth, Fremantle and Subiaco churches with distinction. He was the first Conference Secretary of Churches of Christ in WA and later entered the full-time ministry.

ADB 9

GORDON A EWERS