Australian politician, born at Silverdale, Staffordshire, and at the age of nine started life in a coal-mine. In 1885 he went to Australia and six years later entered the N.S.W. Legislature, holding office as Postmaster-General 1894–8 and Minister of Mines and Agriculture 1898–9. He was elected to the Commonwealth Parliament for Parramatta as a Free Trader in 1901 and became Minister for Defence under Mr. Deakin 1909–10. In 1913 he formed a Liberal Cabinet after the defeat of the Labour party; but just before the outbreak of the World War, the governor-general decided to appeal to the country and as a result of the elections Mr. Fisher assumed the premiership. Cook, before vacating office, had placed the Australian fleet units at the disposal of the British Admiralty. He did not take office again until 1917 when he was Minister for the Navy in Mr. Hughes’s second Ministry. The following year he was created G.C.M.G., having in 1914 been sworn of the Privy Council.
