Hon. James Edward Fenton C.M.G.

Companion of the most distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George

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Obituary Notice (Argus 4th December 1950)
"The former acting Prime Minister who died at his home "Harton" The Crest Frankston last night will have a State Funeral on Tuesday.
Mr. Fenton represented Maribyrnong in the Federal Parliament from 1910 to 1934 and was acting PM in the Scullin Government in 1930. He left the Labor Party in 1931 as a follower of Mr. J. A. Lyons.
A State Funeral will take place on Tuesday at 2.30 pm at the Methodist Church Frankston and will be buried in the Mornington Cemetery."

During his time in Parliament under the Scullin Government he served as Minister for Trade and Customs and Joseph Lyons was treasurer. While he was acting Prime Minister he and Lyons took economic measures to combat the Great depression. This proved unpopular with fellow members, and on the return of P.M. Scullin, Mr. Fenton resigned along with Joseph Lyons and joined him in the formation of the United Australian Party. This party went on to win the next election in a landslide, and during this Government Mr. Fenton became Post Master General and introduced legislation for the introduction of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, finally losing his seat in 1934.

Mr. James Fenton was a long time resident of Merricks North, residing on the corner of Tubba Rubba Road and One Chain Road. He was much involved in the community he lived in, being responsible for obtaining a Post Office for Merricks North (no longer there) and in the erection of a Community hall that was also used as a school for many years up until the Red Hill Consolidated School began. This was named Fenton Hall in his honour, and he then was later instrumental in electricity being made available to the school (Fenton Hall).

His wife Elizabeth predeceased him by many years, she died at Dromana in 1926, his son Edward farmed at Balnarring for a time and in the early 1940’s James Fenton and his daughter Phyliss moved to live in The Crest Frankston, and it was there he passed away in 1950.

He is notable for having been appointed a Cabinet Minister by two governments of different political persuasions but resigning from both as a matter of principle.