William Boothby
Encyclopedia
William Robinson Boothby (1829–1903), was Electoral Commissioner for South Australia
, in charge of every parliamentary election from 1856 to 1903.
Boothby was the eldest son of South Australian Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Boothby
.
On 2 April 1856, South Australia enacted a law introducing the secret ballot
, adopted two weeks earlier in Victoria
. Boothby pioneered this reform, based on ballots pre-printed with the candidates names. In a manner similar to that still used widely today, the voter marked the form in secret and placed it in a sealed box. The ballots were collected and counted so that no one could be identified from their voting paper.
This was a significant change from the then used English practice, where elections were conducted "on the voices". Voters assembled at local election centres where they called out the name of their chosen candidate, and the choice was then entered on a register. This public process made the voter vulnerable to both bribery and intimidation, and caused wide concern.
Boothby's system was adopted for use in Federal government elections in Australia. In the second half of the 19th century, the use of the secret ballot spread to the USA and to Europe; in 1892 Grover Cleveland
became the first US President elected by Boothby’s system, universally referred to as 'the Australian ballot' for nearly a century.
Boothby was the State Returning Officer for the first Australian House of Representatives
election in 1901. The Federal seat of Boothby
, established in 1903 in Adelaide
, was named in his honour.
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...
, in charge of every parliamentary election from 1856 to 1903.
Boothby was the eldest son of South Australian Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Boothby
Benjamin Boothby
Benjamin Boothby was a South Australian colonial judge, who was removed from office for misbehaviour.Boothby was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire. He assisted Sir Thomas Wilde in his electoral campaigns and read in his chambers. He was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1841.In 1853, Boothby was...
.
On 2 April 1856, South Australia enacted a law introducing the secret ballot
Secret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
, adopted two weeks earlier in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. Boothby pioneered this reform, based on ballots pre-printed with the candidates names. In a manner similar to that still used widely today, the voter marked the form in secret and placed it in a sealed box. The ballots were collected and counted so that no one could be identified from their voting paper.
This was a significant change from the then used English practice, where elections were conducted "on the voices". Voters assembled at local election centres where they called out the name of their chosen candidate, and the choice was then entered on a register. This public process made the voter vulnerable to both bribery and intimidation, and caused wide concern.
Boothby's system was adopted for use in Federal government elections in Australia. In the second half of the 19th century, the use of the secret ballot spread to the USA and to Europe; in 1892 Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
became the first US President elected by Boothby’s system, universally referred to as 'the Australian ballot' for nearly a century.
Boothby was the State Returning Officer for the first 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....
election in 1901. The Federal seat of Boothby
Division of Boothby
The Division of Boothby is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. The division was created in 1903 and is named after William Boothby , the Returning Officer for the first election of Members of the House of Representatives in 1901....
, established in 1903 in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, was named in his honour.
Sources
- G. N. Hawker, 'Boothby, William Robinson (1829-1903)', Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
, Volume 3, Melbourne University Press, 1969, pp 196-197. - Constitution Act 1856 (SA), National Archives of Australia
- Castles, AC and Harris, MC, 'Lawmakers and Wayward Whigs', Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 1987.
- Jaensch, Dean (ed.), 'The Flinders History of South Australia: Political History', Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 1986.
- Keeley, Rod, 'The Secret Ballot', in Brian Crozer "If We're So Great, Why Aren't We Better? A Critical Look at Six Great South Australian Firsts", South Australia Old Parliament House Museum, Adelaide, 1986.