William Dartnell Johnson (9 October 1870 – 26 January 1948) was an Australian politician who was prominent in state politics in Western Australia for most of the first half of the 20th century. A member of the Labor Party, he served in the Legislative Assembly on three occasions – from 1901 to 1905, then again from 1906 to 1917, and finally from 1924 until his death. Johnson was elected leader of the Labor Party (and thus leader of the opposition) in October 1905, but three weeks later lost his own seat at the 1905 state election. He had previously been a minister in the government of Henry Daglish (from August 1904 to August 1905), and later returned to the ministry under John Scaddan (from October 1911 to July 1916). Towards the end of his career, Johnson also served just under a year as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, from 1938 to 1939. Early life William Dartnell Johnson was born on 9 October 1870 in Whanganui, New Zealand. His father was George Groheim Johnson, a plumber, and his mother, Elizabeth Ann McCormish. He went to the Turakina State School in Turakina until the age of thirteen. From the age of thirteen to the age of sixteen, he worked in a post office. He then worked as a carpenter, emigrating to Western Australia in 1894, at the age of twenty-four. A year later, he moved to the Goldfields, settling in Kalgoorlie. There, he founded the Kalgoorlie branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, and he served as its first President. He also helped establish the Kalgoorlie, Boulder and District Trades and Labor Council, and served as its secretary for two years. He then served as the first business manager of the Westralian Worker, a newspaper in Kalgoorlie. Politics He became a member of the Labor Party. From 1901 to 1905, he served as the Labor MLA for the Electoral district of Kalgoorlie in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. During his tenure, he spearheaded the Midland Railway Workshops. In 1904, he served as Western Australia's Minister for Works, and later as regional Minister for Mines and Railways. He then became the leader of the Western Australian Labor Party, but quit his role in October 1905. From 1906 to 1917, he served as MLA for the Electoral district of Guildford in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. In October 1911, he began a