Sir Arthur Blyth (19 March 1823 – 7 December 1891) was

Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier i ...

three times; 1864–65, 1871–72 and 1873–75.

Early life

The son of William Blyth and his wife, Sarah Wilkins, he was born at

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, England on 21 March 1823. His formative years were spent in Birmingham, and he was educated at

King Edward's School, Birmingham King Edward's School (KES) is an independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the British Public school (UK), public school tradition, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded by Edward VI of England, King Edward VI in 1552, it ...

, and arrived with his parents in South Australia in 1839 on the "Ariadne" at the age of 16. His father, who was appointed a Justice of the Peace and became a Councillor of the City Corporation in 1840, and afterwards one of the City Commissioners,The Late Mr. Neville Blyth
''South Australian Register'' Monday 17 February 1890 p5 accessed 16 November 2011 established an ironmongery business in Hindley Street, Adelaide, which Blyth entered with his brother Neville. He interested himself in municipal work and was a member of the central road board. In 1855 he was elected for Yatala in the old

legislative council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

and assisted in framing the new constitution. Early in 1857 he was elected as one of the representatives of Gumeracha in the first house of assembly, and in August became commissioner of public works in the John Baker ministry which, however, was defeated on 1 September. On 12 June 1858 he was given the same position in the Hanson ministry, which remained in power until May 1860. In October 1861 he became Treasurer of South Australia in the Waterhouse ministry which, however, was reconstructed nine days later, when Blyth dropped out. He came back to the ministry, however, as Treasurer in February 1862, and was selected as one of the three representatives of South Australia at the intercolonial conference held in Melbourne in March and April 1863. He was a member of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society and its president for the year 1867–68.

As premier

On 4 August 1864, Blyth, taking the positions of

premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

and commissioner of crown lands and immigration, formed his first ministry, but it was difficult to do useful work, much time being wasted in no-confidence motions. Blyth resigned on 22 March 1865, was Treasurer in the third ministry formed by

Henry Ayers Sir Henry Ayers (now pron. "airs") (1 May 1821 – 11 June 1897) was the eighth Premier of South Australia, serving a record five times between 1863 and 1873. His lasting memorial was in the name Ayers Rock, now better-known as Uluru, wh ...

but was out of office again in little more than a month. In March 1866 he became Chief Secretary in James Boucaut's first ministry from March 1866 to May 1867. He was Treasurer again in the first John Hart ministry in September 1868, but this ministry was defeated three weeks later. He took the position of commissioner of crown lands and immigration in the second Hart ministry, which lasted from 30 May 1870 to 10 November 1871, when Blyth formed his second ministry, but resigned only ten weeks later.

Third time as premier

On 22 July 1873 he again became premier and this time took the portfolio of Chief Secretary of South Australia. This ministry was a comparatively stable one and lasted until June 1875. It succeeded in doing something for

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, and after a stern fight passed a free, secular, and compulsory education bill through the assembly. This was defeated in the council. It succeeded, however, in passing an act incorporating the

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. From 10 February 1875 to 21 February 1877 he represented

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Later years

On 25 March 1876 Blyth became Treasurer in the third Boucaut ministry which resigned less than three months later. In February 1877 he was appointed agent-general for South Australia in London and held the position capably for many years. He was a councillor of the

Oxford Military College Oxford Military College was an all-male private boarding school and military academy in Cowley, Oxford, England, from 1876 to 1896. The military college opened on 7 September 1876. Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was the patron of the Oxfo ...

in Cowley and

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from 1876 to 1896. He was a representative of South Australia at the 1887 colonial conference. Blyth died in

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, England on 7 December 1891. His widow died two weeks later, on 21 December.

Family

Arthur's younger brother, Neville Blyth, had a significant political career, being first elected to the House of Assembly for the seat of East Torrens in 1860. Arthur Blyth married Jessie Ann Forrest (1827–21 December 1891), a daughter of Edward Forrest of

, on 5 March 1850; she died two weeks after her husband. *Emily Grant Blyth (died 31 December 1926) married Robert Grant Murray R.N.R. on 23 August 1893 *(John) James Neville Blyth (20 November 1850 – ), married Elizabeth Emma Hawker (daughter of James Collins Hawker and granddaughter of Thomas Lipson) on 11 June 1873. In 1885 he was jailed for a year for passing valueless cheques. The couple divorced in 1908. *Frances Eleanor Blyth (9 February 1855 – ) married Wiliam Briggs Sells on 16 January 1877.

Recognition

The Hundred of Blyth (SA) in the Mid North of South Australia, and hence the later township of Blyth, was named for him in 1860 by Governor MacDonnell. The Blyth River in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

was named after him by Francis Cadell in 1867. The Hundred of Blyth (NT) was also named for him in 1871. He was knighted KCMG in 1877 and appointed CB in 1886. The Hundred of Jessie and possibly the ceased government town of Jessie were named for his wife.

Notes

References

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