William Austin Oke (14 December 1857 −24 February 1923) was a newspaper publisher, politician, and District Court judge in Newfoundland. He represented Harbour Grace in the Newfoundland House of Assembly for three terms, from 1898 to 1908, as a Liberal.
Early life
Oke was born 14 December 1857 in Harbour Grace, the grandson of Robert Oke, the first Chief Inspector, Newfoundland Lighthouse Service, and the son of Edward Langdon Oke, II (1825–1862) and Frances Walsh (1830–1881). His father was a harbor pilot, a lighthouse keeper on Harbour Grace Island in Conception Bay, and he became a local legend as the winning coxwain in the whaleboat race in 1859 that inspired the annual regatta in Harbour Grace. Oke was 4 years old and the youngest of four siblings when his father drowned with Nathaniel Snow (assistant lighthouse keeper) after they fell through the ice near Salvage Rock while traveling to the lighthouse in February 1862. Oke's mother, "Fanny", raised her young family by operating a variety store in town but was in poor health and remained an invalid for the last 19 years of her life.
Newspaper career
From the age of 13 or 14, Oke apprenticed as a printer with Robert Thomas Squarey, who had taken over as editor from William Squarey, of the Harbor Grace Standard and Conception Bay Advertiser. After three years, Oke was promoted to foreman. On 5 March 1873 the newspaper was purchased by Archibald Munn (1814–1877), who as publisher and editor, moved the business to Water Street East. After Munn's death, his son, John F. Munn ran the publishing business. Oke took over the positions of business manager and publisher and became part owner with Munn when the business changed to Munn & Oke, Ltd. on 23 May 1888. The newspaper title was shortened to Harbor Grace Standard.
In March 1909, after Oke recused himself as an editor and publisher, Sophia Oke as trustee for their son Edward Langdon Oke, IV (1893–1966) or 'Ned' (a minor), and the estate of J. F. Munn became the publishers and proprietors of the Standard. At the time of Oke's death in 1923, Ned was the proprietor of the Standard. Although Ned was sole printer, publisher and Chief Editor, he filed an affidavit to retain the business registration and proprietorship as Munn & Oke, Ltd. After the newspaper ceased publication in 1936, the business relied on commercial printing and lithographic services, shepherded eventually by Ned's son, William Austin Oke, II (1930–2005). The "Washington" press equipment, manufactured by R. Hoe & Company, used to print the Standard, was still being used by Munn & Oke, Ltd. to print posters when Memorial University of Newfoundland purchased it in 1962 and named it "Pitcher Plant Press". Thus, three generations of Oke family hand-operated the historic iron printing press that was used in Newfoundland for more than a century (1850 to 1962). The press is on display in the Queen Elizabeth II Library (MUN, St. John's, NL).
Political career
Oke's entrance into politics was in the October 1897 Newfoundland general election, running as a liberal under William Whiteway, he won a seat from 1898 to 1900 in the 18th General Assembly of Newfoundland, led by the opposition Tory Party of James Spearman Winter (1845–1911). Oke continued as a member of The Liberal Party, then led by Sir Robert Bond (1857–1927) after the Newfoundland general election, held on 8 November 1900, and sat in the 19th General Assembly of Newfoundland, from 1901 to 1904. Oke succeeded again in election to the 20th General Assembly of Newfoundland and sat from 1905 to 1908. In 1907, Britain changed the structure of the self-governing British colony, conferring dominion status to Newfoundland by Royal Proclamation. At this time, minister of justice Edward Patrick Morris resigned from the cabinet and formed the Newfoundland People's Party, which ran against the liberals in the Newfoundland general election, held on 2 November 1908. Oke and five other candidates ran in a close election for the three Member House Assembly seats for the Harbour Grace District but he was unsuccessful in seeking a fourth term.