Sir Robert Wallace Best, KCMG (18 June 1856 – 27 March 1946) was an Australian lawyer and politician who served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He was a Senator for Victoria from 1901 to 1910, and then represented the Division of Kooyong in the House of Representatives from 1910 to 1922. Best served in cabinet in the second and third governments of Alfred Deakin. Before entering federal politics, he also served in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1889 to 1901, where he was a government minister.
Born in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood to (Northern) Irish immigrants, and raised in Kyneton, Best was educated at Templeton's School, Fitzroy. He left school at 13 and became a clerk in a printing office and then worked for a solicitor where he took articles and matriculated in 1875. He studied law at the University of Melbourne and was admitted as a solicitor in 1881. He married Jane Langridge the same year. He was elected as an alderman on Fitzroy City Council almost continuously from 1883 to 1897 and served as mayor in 1888 and 1889.[1]
Political career
In April 1889, Best was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the member for Fitzroy (later subsumed by the seat of Richmond) and was offered, but turned down, a position in William Shiels' ministry in 1892. From September 1894 to December 1899 he was President of the Board of Land and Works, Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey, and Commissioner of Trade and Customs. He was responsible for introducing tariff reform in 1896 and land reform in 1898 to promote closer settlement and acted twice as Premier.[1][2]
Best returned full-time to his legal practice, which he had never abandoned. After the death of his first wife in 1901, he married Maude Evelyn Crocker-Smith. He died in 1946 in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn survived by two sons and two daughters of his first marriage and four daughters of his second.[1] His second daughter Phyllis Best was an actress who toured with Dame Sybil Thorndike and married fellow actor and radio personality Atholl Fleming.[5] His third daughter, Helene Best, was a pianist who trained at the Melbourne Conservatory. She went to London in 1935.[6] A son, Arthur Best, played for Melbourne and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League.[7]
Notes
^ abcdMarshall, Norma (1979). "Best, Sir Robert Wallace (1856–1946)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 27 August 2022 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
^"Sir Robert Wallace Best". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
^"Appendix 3―Deputy Presidents and Chairmen of Committees (1901–2009)". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
^Jones, Catherine. "BEST, Sir Robert Wallace (1856–1946) Senator for Victoria, 1901–10". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
^"Miss Phyllis Best: marriage to Mr Athol Fleming". The Argus. 12 September 1932. p. 8. Retrieved 27 August 2022 – via Trove.
^"Thelma Scott's understudy". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 June 1934. p. 8. Retrieved 27 August 2022 – via Trove.
^"Arthur Fitzroy BEST". The AIF Project. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
robert, best, politician, robert, wallace, best, kcmg, june, 1856, march, 1946, australian, lawyer, politician, served, both, senate, house, representatives, senator, victoria, from, 1901, 1910, then, represented, division, kooyong, house, representatives, fro. Sir Robert Wallace Best KCMG 18 June 1856 27 March 1946 was an Australian lawyer and politician who served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives He was a Senator for Victoria from 1901 to 1910 and then represented the Division of Kooyong in the House of Representatives from 1910 to 1922 Best served in cabinet in the second and third governments of Alfred Deakin Before entering federal politics he also served in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1889 to 1901 where he was a government minister The HonourableSir Robert BestKCMGMinister for Trade and CustomsIn office 2 June 1909 29 April 1910Prime MinisterAlfred DeakinPreceded byFrank TudorSucceeded byFrank TudorVice President of the Executive CouncilIn office 30 July 1907 13 November 1908Prime MinisterAlfred DeakinPreceded byJohn KeatingSucceeded byGregor McGregorMember of the Australian Parliament for KooyongIn office 24 August 1910 16 December 1922Preceded byWilliam KnoxSucceeded byJohn LathamSenator for VictoriaIn office 29 March 1901 30 June 1910Personal detailsBorn 1856 06 18 18 June 1856Collingwood Victoria AustraliaDied27 March 1946 1946 03 27 aged 89 Hawthorn Victoria AustraliaPolitical partyProtectionist 1901 09 Liberal 1909 17 Nationalist 1917 22 Spouse s Jane Caroline Langridge Maude Evelyn Crocker SmithAlma materUniversity of MelbourneOccupationSolicitor Contents 1 Early life 2 Political career 3 Later life 4 NotesEarly life EditBorn in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood to Northern Irish immigrants and raised in Kyneton Best was educated at Templeton s School Fitzroy He left school at 13 and became a clerk in a printing office and then worked for a solicitor where he took articles and matriculated in 1875 He studied law at the University of Melbourne and was admitted as a solicitor in 1881 He married Jane Langridge the same year He was elected as an alderman on Fitzroy City Council almost continuously from 1883 to 1897 and served as mayor in 1888 and 1889 1 Political career EditIn April 1889 Best was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the member for Fitzroy later subsumed by the seat of Richmond and was offered but turned down a position in William Shiels ministry in 1892 From September 1894 to December 1899 he was President of the Board of Land and Works Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey and Commissioner of Trade and Customs He was responsible for introducing tariff reform in 1896 and land reform in 1898 to promote closer settlement and acted twice as Premier 1 2 Best was a strong supporter of the federation of Australia and resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was elected to the Australian Senate in the 1901 election He was the inaugural Chairman of Committees in the Senate serving from 1901 to 1903 3 He was Vice President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate from February 1907 until November 1908 in the third Deakin Ministry where he was responsible for tariff and excise bills 4 Best was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1908 He served as Minister for Trade and Customs in Alfred Deakin s Fusion ministry from June 1909 to April 1910 He lost his seat in the landslide to Labor at the 1910 election but was soon returned to Parliament at a by election for the House of Representatives seat of Kooyong He supported the introduction of conscription and he became a Nationalist in 1917 At the 1922 election he was beaten narrowly on Labor preferences by John Latham who ran as an independent on the slogan Get Rid of Hughes 1 Later life Edit Undated photo Best returned full time to his legal practice which he had never abandoned After the death of his first wife in 1901 he married Maude Evelyn Crocker Smith He died in 1946 in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn survived by two sons and two daughters of his first marriage and four daughters of his second 1 His second daughter Phyllis Best was an actress who toured with Dame Sybil Thorndike and married fellow actor and radio personality Atholl Fleming 5 His third daughter Helene Best was a pianist who trained at the Melbourne Conservatory She went to London in 1935 6 A son Arthur Best played for Melbourne and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League 7 Notes Edit a b c d Marshall Norma 1979 Best Sir Robert Wallace 1856 1946 Australian Dictionary of Biography Melbourne University Press ISSN 1833 7538 Retrieved 27 August 2022 via National Centre of Biography Australian National University Sir Robert Wallace Best re member a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851 Parliament of Victoria Retrieved 5 August 2022 Appendix 3 Deputy Presidents and Chairmen of Committees 1901 2009 Parliament of Australia Retrieved 10 September 2017 Jones Catherine BEST Sir Robert Wallace 1856 1946 Senator for Victoria 1901 10 The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate Retrieved 5 August 2022 Miss Phyllis Best marriage to Mr Athol Fleming The Argus 12 September 1932 p 8 Retrieved 27 August 2022 via Trove Thelma Scott s understudy The Sydney Morning Herald 28 June 1934 p 8 Retrieved 27 August 2022 via Trove Arthur Fitzroy BEST The AIF Project Retrieved 6 August 2015 Victorian Legislative AssemblyPreceded byRobert ReidAlbert Tucker Member for Fitzroy1889 1901 Served alongside Albert Tucker 1889 1900 John Billson 1900 1901 Succeeded byPatrick O ConnorJohn BillsonPolitical officesPreceded byJohn Keating Vice President of the Executive Council1907 1908 Succeeded byGregor McGregorPreceded byFrank Tudor Minister for Trade and Customs1909 1910 Succeeded byFrank TudorParliament of AustraliaPreceded byWilliam Knox Member for Kooyong1910 1922 Succeeded byJohn Latham Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert Best politician amp oldid 1124668619, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
