John Adamson CBE (18 February 1857 – 2 May 1922) was an English-born Australian politician.^[1]

Born in Durham, he received a primary education before becoming a shoemaker, blacksmith and lay preacher. He migrated to Australia in 1878, becoming a Methodist minister in Queensland.^[1]

At the 1907 election, Adamson was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland as the Labour member for Maryborough, serving until 2 October 1909 (the 1909 election).^[1][2]

On 25 February 1911, he was elected as the member for Rockhampton, serving until 21 March 1917. He was Secretary for Railways from 1 June 1915 to 2 October 1916. Adamson left the Labor Party in the wake of the 1916 split over conscription, joining the National Party.^[1][2]

In 1919, he was part of the formation of a brief-lived state National Labor Party^[3] and then he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Nationalist Senator for Queensland.^[4] He served in the Senate from 1 July 1920 until his death on 2 May 1922. Following his death, the Queensland Government (then controlled by the Australian Labor Party) appointed John MacDonald, a Labor member, as his replacement.^[2][5]

Adamson died in 1922 after he fell in front of a train at Hendra railway station. Reports at the time suggested suicide as he had been suffering from illness and depression for some time.^[1][6] He was accorded a state funeral which proceeded from the Albert Street Methodist Church to the Toowong Cemetery.^[1][7][8]

• "Adamson, John (1857-1922)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate.