Carlisle Wordsworth

Wordsworth was born in Mount Molloy, Queensland, the son of Arthur John Wordsworth and his wife Lillian Justitia (née Carlisle). He was educated at Gordonvale State School and did night classes at Cairns High School before starting his working career as a locomotive fireman and engine driver at the Mulgrave Central Mill from 1923 until 1925. He then worked at the Mulgrave Cooperative Sugar Mill from 1929 until 1940 at which time he joined the Second Australian Imperial Force, working as a liaison officer with the United States army. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of major and after working for the International Boring Company as a traveler he was an industrial advocate for the Queensland Cane Growers Association and District Secretary of the Cairns Cane Growers Association.^[1]

On 8 September 1934 Wordsworth married Ailsa Mary Williams (d. 1987)^[2] and together had two sons. He died in May 1960 and was buried in the Gordonvale Cemetery.^[2]

Wordsworth, a member of the Country Party, won the seat of Cook at the 1950 Queensland state election.^[3] He held it until the 1953 election when he was defeated by the Labor candidate, Bunny Adair.^[3]

He did not stand at the following election in 1956, but in 1957 he once again stood for the seat of Cook and was once again beaten by Bunny Adair.^[4] Wordsworth then won the by-election held in 1959 for the seat of Mulgrave after the death of Bob Watson^[5] but he died in office in May the next year.^[1]