Richard Butler (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Butler was an Australian politician and Premier of South Australia.
, near Oxford
, England
, elder son of Richard Butler, pastoralist, and his wife Mary Eliza, née Sadler. The family emigrated to South Australia
, arriving in Adelaide on 8 March 1854. Butler was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide
, then spent many years as a farmer and grazier. He was a Justice of the Peace before he was 30.
as minister of agriculture in the Kingston
ministry which resigned in December 1899.
Butler was Treasurer in the Jenkins
ministry 15 May 1901–1 March 1905, and was also Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration 1 April 1902–1 March 1905. Jenkins then went to London as Agent-General. Butler succeeded him as Premier, still keeping his previous portfolios. His ministry was defeated on 26 July 1905 and he was in opposition for about four years. On 22 December 1909 Butler joined the first Peake
ministry as Treasurer and Minister for the Northern Territory
, but the ministry was defeated on 3 June 1910. Butler was Commissioner of Public Works in the second Peake ministry 17 February 1912–10 November 1914 and Minister of Mines and of Marine 17 February 1912–3 April 1915. He was Treasurer once again and Minister of Railways in Peake's third ministry from 14 July 1917–7 May 1919, and Minister of Agriculture 19 December 1918–7 May 1919.
Butler left the ministry in controversial circumstances. The report of the Royal Commission on the Wheat Scheme appeared to reflect on the actions of Butler while he was the minister in charge of it, and Peake asked Butler to resign. He refused to do so because he considered that that would admit the justice of the charges. The Executive Council, on the advice of the government, thereupon dismissed Butler from his offices. The report of another royal commission presented some 14 months later was, however, accepted as clearing him of guilt; also the fact that he was elected Speaker in 1921 suggests there had been injustice. He was defeated at the general election of 1924 after having represented the same district for 34 years.
on 28 April 1925. Butler was made a knight bachelor
in 1913. He had married Helena Kate Layton in 1878 and Ethel Pauline Finer in 1894, who survived him. He had eight children by his first marriage and three by his second.
Butler's son, Richard Layton Butler
, was twice premier of South Australia (1927–30 and 1933–38). His great-grandson Mark Butler
is a Labor
member of the Australian House of Representatives
.
Early life
Butler was born at StadhamptonStadhampton
Stadhampton is a village and civil parish north of Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. Stadhampton village is on the A329 road and close to the River Thame.-Location:...
, near Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, elder son of Richard Butler, pastoralist, and his wife Mary Eliza, née Sadler. The family emigrated to South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, arriving in Adelaide on 8 March 1854. Butler was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide
St Peter's College, Adelaide
St Peter's College, , is an independent boy's school in the South Australian capital of Adelaide...
, then spent many years as a farmer and grazier. He was a Justice of the Peace before he was 30.
Political career
Butler attempted to enter parliament early in 1890 when he stood for Yatala but was defeated. A few months later he won the seat at a by-election. On 13 April 1898 he succeeded CockburnJohn Cockburn (Australian politician)
Sir John Alexander Cockburn, KCMG was Premier of South Australia from 27 June 1889 until 18 August 1890.Cockburn was born in Corsbie, Berwickshire, Scotland in 1850. His father was Thomas Cockburn. He was educated at Highgate School, and King's College London, he obtained the degree of M.D....
as minister of agriculture in the Kingston
Charles Kingston
Charles Cameron Kingston, Australian politician, was an early liberal Premier of South Australia serving from 1893 to 1899 with the support of Labor led by John McPherson from 1893 and Lee Batchelor from 1897 in the House of Assembly, winning the 1893, 1896, and 1899 state elections against the...
ministry which resigned in December 1899.
Butler was Treasurer in the Jenkins
John Jenkins (Australian politician)
John Greeley Jenkins was an American-Australian politician and Premier of South Australia.Jenkins was the fourth son of Evan Jenkins and Mary Davis of South Wales, was born in Pennsylvania. He was educated at the Wyoming Seminary, Pa., and after working on his father's farm, became in 1872 a...
ministry 15 May 1901–1 March 1905, and was also Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration 1 April 1902–1 March 1905. Jenkins then went to London as Agent-General. Butler succeeded him as Premier, still keeping his previous portfolios. His ministry was defeated on 26 July 1905 and he was in opposition for about four years. On 22 December 1909 Butler joined the first Peake
Archibald Peake
Archibald Henry Peake was an Australian politician and the 25th Premier of South Australia, serving on three separate occasions in the 1910s.-Early life and career:...
ministry as Treasurer and Minister for the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, but the ministry was defeated on 3 June 1910. Butler was Commissioner of Public Works in the second Peake ministry 17 February 1912–10 November 1914 and Minister of Mines and of Marine 17 February 1912–3 April 1915. He was Treasurer once again and Minister of Railways in Peake's third ministry from 14 July 1917–7 May 1919, and Minister of Agriculture 19 December 1918–7 May 1919.
Butler left the ministry in controversial circumstances. The report of the Royal Commission on the Wheat Scheme appeared to reflect on the actions of Butler while he was the minister in charge of it, and Peake asked Butler to resign. He refused to do so because he considered that that would admit the justice of the charges. The Executive Council, on the advice of the government, thereupon dismissed Butler from his offices. The report of another royal commission presented some 14 months later was, however, accepted as clearing him of guilt; also the fact that he was elected Speaker in 1921 suggests there had been injustice. He was defeated at the general election of 1924 after having represented the same district for 34 years.
Late life
At the beginning of 1925 Butler went on a trip to England and died at South CroydonSouth Croydon
South Croydon is a locality in Greater London, the area surrounding the valley south of central Croydon about 1 km in radius, centred on the Red Deer public house on the Brighton Road. It is part of the South Croydon post town and in the London Borough of Croydon...
on 28 April 1925. Butler was made a knight bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1913. He had married Helena Kate Layton in 1878 and Ethel Pauline Finer in 1894, who survived him. He had eight children by his first marriage and three by his second.
Butler's son, Richard Layton Butler
Richard Layton Butler
Sir Richard Layton Butler KCMG was the 31st Premier of South Australia, serving two disjunct terms in office: from 1927 to 1930, and again from 1933 to 1938....
, was twice premier of South Australia (1927–30 and 1933–38). His great-grandson Mark Butler
Mark Butler
Mark Christopher Butler has been the Australian Labor Party representative for the electoral division of Port Adelaide in north-western Adelaide, South Australia since the 2007 federal election, succeeding prior Labor MP Rod Sawford....
is a Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
.