Obituaries Australia

Mr. Ernest Henry Collet Clayton, M.L.A., died to-day. He had been in ill-health for a long time.

For 26 years he had represented the Wide Bay electorate in the State Parliament, and announced recently that he intended to retire at the end of the present Parliament.

Mr. Clayton, who was the eldest son of the late Rev. J. E. Clayton, was born at Tinana, and had engaged in farming and dairying nearly all his life. He became a member of the Tinana Shire Council in 1910, and later was a member of the Tiaro and Burrum Shire Councils until 1920, when he was elected as Country Party representative for Wide Bay, defeating the Labour candidate. At each succeeding election he was either returned unopposed or won the seat.

Before entering Parliament he was for some years the canegrowers' representative on the Maryborough Cane Prices Board and an active member of the Primary Producers' Union.

He leaves his wife, one son—Mr. E. A. Clayton (Pialba)—and one daughter — Mrs. G. Horsburgh (Maryborough).

Because the general elections will be held next year, most likely in May, it is not expected that the seat will be filled until then.

Mr. Clayton was one of a record number—six—of State members who had announced their voluntary retirement from State politics with the end of this Parliament.