Sir James Mitchell, (27 April 1866 – 26 July 1951) was an Australian politician. He served as premier of Western Australia from 1919 to 1924 and from 1930 to 1933, as leader of the Nationalist Party. He then held viceregal office from 1933 to 1951, as acting governor from 1933 to 1948 and governor of Western Australia from 1948 until his death in 1951. Mitchell was born to a farming family in Dardanup, Western Australia. He became manager of the Western Australian Bank's Northam branch. He was first elected to the Parliament of Western Australia in 1905 and held the seat of Northam for nearly three decades. Mitchell rose quickly to ministerial office where he was a keen advocate of agricultural development. He favoured government support of primary industry and sought to use assisted migration and soldier settlement to supply the necessary labour. Mitchell first became premier in 1919 after a period of instability in state politics, governing in coalition with the Country Party despite earlier conflict. His first term saw minor social reforms and development initiatives, but was primarily known for the Group Settlement Scheme which established the South West dairy industry. Mitchell won the 1921 state election but was defeated in 1924. He returned as premier in 1930 at the height of the Great Depression, but suffered a landslide defeat three years later and lost his own seat. He notably authorised a secession referendum in 1933. After losing office, Mitchell was appointed lieutenant-governor by his successor Philip Collier. The office of governor was left vacant during the Great Depression as a cost-saving measure, with Mitchell serving as acting governor until being formally commissioned in the role in 1948. He died in office in 1951. Early life Mitchell was born on 27 April 1866 in Dardanup, Western Australia. He was the oldest of thirteen children born to Caroline (née Morgan) and William Bedford Mitchell; his father was a farm manager and grazier. Mitchell was educated in Bunbury and joined the Western Australian Bank in 1885. He was initially posted to Geraldton before becoming manager of the bank's Northam branch in 1890. Both he and the bank prospered during the Western Australian gold rushes, with Northam serving as a key staging point on the Eastern Goldfields Railway. Mitchell's success allowed him to take up farming and he remained keenly interested in agricultural development throughout his political career. He was appointed