James Cornell (23 December 1874 – 25 November 1946) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1912 until his death.
In 1900, Cornell moved to the Eastern Goldfields, working as a miner, labourer, and iron worker's assistant in Boulder.
Cornell played a key role in the formation of the state branch of the National Labor Party, which subsequently supported the Nationalist government of Henry Lefroy.
[2] He was elected president of the National Labor state branch in 1921,[3] and was re-elected to parliament under that banner in 1924, although the final margin was only 18 votes.
He held the position until July 1946, when he was elevated to the presidency of the council in place of Sir John Kirwan.