He arrived in the colony in 1873, having previously been an army officer and civil servant in India.
Cookworthy served in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1890 until 1897, representing the seat of Sussex.
Cookworthy came to Western Australia in 1873, settling at Busselton (in the colony's South West region).
He was elected to the Sussex Road Board the following year, serving until 1880, and also became a justice of the peace.
[1] Cookworthy first attempted to enter politics at the 1884 Legislative Council elections, standing in the seat of Vasse.