James Walker (Australian politician)

James Thomas Walker (20 March 1841 – 18 January 1923) was an Australian banker and politician. He served as a Senator for New South Wales from 1901 to 1913.

Walker was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He spent his early childhood in New South Wales, before returning to Scotland with his family to study finance. Joining the Bank of New South Wales, he returned to Australia and held various financial positions in New South Wales and Queensland. Gaining a public reputation for financial expertise, he was active in the Federationist cause and was a delegate to the 1897 Constitutional Convention, where he was a significant figure in the development of Commonwealth finance schemes. After assisting the successful "Yes" campaign for the 1898 referendum, he was elected to the Senate in 1901 as a Free Trader.

As a senator, Walker continued to focus on finance, although his views on social policy sometimes saw him on the outside of his party. He supported the White Australia policy but disagreed with key elements, and was a leader in opposition to the dictation test, by which a potential immigrant was required to pass a test in any European language before their application was accepted. He also campaigned for a transcontinental railway and for a capital city to be located on federal territory. Attempts to guide financial reform through the parliament as a backbench senator led to frustration, and Walker retired due to ill health in 1913 with his legislation unpassed.