Editing Hal Colebatch (section)

===Northam===
The ''Morning Herald'' eventually collapsed, and so in 1904, Colebatch moved to [[Northam, Western Australia|Northam]], a town in Western Australia's [[Wheatbelt (Western Australia)|Wheatbelt]]. Largely using borrowed money, he bought his own newspaper: ''[[The Northam Advertiser]]''.{{sfnm|Colebatch|2004|1p=41|De Garis|1962|2p=12}} A friend from Broken Hill, J. T. Nichols, was put in charge of printing the newspaper, leaving Colebatch in charge of the journalism, allowing the newspaper to prosper.{{sfn|De Garis|1962|p=13}} By this point, he had two sons: Harley and Gordon Lindsay, and was looking for a more settled life. He lived in Northam for years to come.{{sfn|De Garis|1962|p=13}}

In Northam, Colebatch became friends with local bank branch manager and future premier [[James Mitchell (Australian politician)|James Mitchell]].{{sfnm|Colebatch|2004|1p=41|De Garis|1962|2p=14}} Impressed by Mitchell, Colebatch encouraged Mitchell to stand for [[Parliament of Western Australia|state parliament]] and he became Mitchell's campaign manager.{{sfnm|Colebatch|2004|1p=41|De Garis|1962|2p=15}} Mitchell won the [[Western Australian Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] seat of [[Electoral district of Northam|Northam]] in the [[1905 Western Australian state election|1905 state election]], defeating the incumbent [[Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)|Labor]] candidate, and held it until [[1933 Western Australian state election|1933]].{{sfnm|Colebatch|2004|1p=42|De Garis|1962|2p=15}} Although Colebatch was the better public speaker of the two, he often put Mitchell's political career ahead of his own.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=41}} Although he likely would have probably easily won it, Colebatch did not contest the seat as he would have to oust his friend. Mitchell rose rapidly in the ranks of government, becoming a [[Minister (government)|minister]] in 1906 and obtaining the important portfolios of [[Minister for Lands (Western Australia)|lands]] and [[Minister for Agriculture and Food (Western Australia)|agriculture]] in 1909. During this time, Colebatch was seen as Mitchell's [[éminence grise]].{{sfnm|Colebatch|2004|1p=42|De Garis|1962|2p=16}}

Colebatch founded the Northam Bowling Club{{sfnm|Colebatch|2004|1p=43|De Garis|1962|2p=13}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25518571 |title=Bowls |newspaper=The West Australian |date=8 July 1905 |access-date=26 January 2023 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and also took a part in creating a bowling club in the nearby town of [[York, Western Australia|York]]. In 1905, he won the state championship in bowls pairs and became the vice-president of the Western Australian Bowling Association.{{sfn|Colebatch|2004|p=43}} He became a well-known figure within Northam, becoming a [[justice of the peace]] in 1906, a member of the District Board of Education, the local fire brigades board and the state fire brigades board.{{sfn|De Garis|1962|p=16}} In November 1909,<ref name="Parliament biography" />{{sfn|De Garis|1962|p=16}} he was elected unopposed as the mayor of [[Town of Northam|Northam]]{{sfn|De Garis|1962|p=16}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26242621 |title=Municipal Elections |newspaper=The West Australian |date=18 November 1909 |access-date=26 January 2023 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> after being nominated by the retiring mayor, Oscar Bernard.{{sfn|De Garis|1962|p=16}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26240949 |title=Personal |newspaper=The West Australian |date=29 October 1909 |access-date=26 January 2023 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Colebatch oversaw the [[Sealed road|sealing]] of Northam's roads for the first time as well as the development of the [[Avon River (Western Australia)|Avon River]] with weirs and embankments to enhance the surroundings and prevent flooding, an initiative started by Bernard.{{sfnm|Colebatch|2004|1p=46|De Garis|1962|2p=16}} Colebatch managed to secure several large grants from the state government for these works.{{sfn|De Garis|1962|p=16}}