John Arthur (politician)

John Andrew Arthur ( born August 15, 1875 in Castlemaine, Victoria, † December 9, 1914 in Melbourne) was an Australian politician and, among others, Foreign Minister of the country.

Life

Arthur was born in Castlemaine (Victoria), the son of a gold prospector and spent his childhood in various gold mining towns of Victoria. A state scholarship allowed him the Grenville College, Ballarat three years to visit. In 1895 he graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Arts. As a good and ambitious student, he could make his Master of Arts in 1897 and then in 1898 his Bachelor of Laws, as finally in 1901 his Master of Laws. He then worked at Queen's College and taught in philosophy, political economy, history and law.

He was a respected judge in the new federal courts, especially the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration and represented the Agricultural Implement Makers' Union in the Harvester case, which led to the introduction of up to the 1990s used in Australia subsistence.

In the elections of 1913 he beat his opponent John Quick and won for the Australian Labor Party a seat in the House of Representatives ( in the constituency Bendigo ). He was known for his lively participation in the parliamentary debates. In addition, he served as attorney for the Australian industry continued his work and often traveled by the former government headquarters in Melbourne in the metropolis of Sydney. Through the election campaign in 1914 and his work on the court during the election of the Government of Chris Watson in poor health for a long time made ​​him spend in bed. At the party meeting on 17 September he was present and on the same day he was appointed Foreign Minister of the country. His health went rapidly downhill from now on, and he died on December 9, 1914 from acute kidney failure at his home in Melbourne. He left behind his wife, two sons and two daughters.