Sir Robert John Southey (20 March 1922 – 29 September 1998) was an Australian businessman, who was president of the

Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is a centre-right political party in Australia, one of the two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-left Australian Labor Party. It was founded in 1944 as the successor to the United Au ...

from 1970 to 1975, and chairman of

The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direc ...

Foundation from 1980 to 1990.

Early life, education and military service

Southey was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in 1922, the son of Allen Hope Southey and his wife, Ethel Thorpe (Nancy) McComas. He was schooled at

Geelong Grammar School , motto_translation = 1 Corinthians 1:30: "For us, Christ was made wisdom"( 1 Corinthians 1:30: Christ, who has been made for us in wisdom) , city = Corio, Victoria , country = Australia , coordinates = , ...

, at which he was dux of his final year. At the completion of his schooling, he entered

Trinity College, Melbourne Trinity College is the oldest residential college of the University of Melbourne, the first university in the colony of Victoria, Australia. The college was opened in 1872 on a site granted to the Church of England by the government of Victori ...

in 1940 before travelling to England to study classics at Magdalen College, Oxford. When

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

broke out, Southey enlisted in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, and following completion of training at the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infant ...

he was commissioned in the 2nd Battalion of the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

. He saw service in North Africa and Italy, attaining the rank of captain. After the war, Southey returned to Oxford, graduating in 1948 with first-class honours and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

. He also rowed for Oxford and was elected to the

Leander Club Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior t ...

Business and political career

On his return to Australia, Southey joined the company William Haughton as a wool buyer. He became active in conservative politics, joining the Malvern branch of the Liberal Party. In 1970, he became federal president of the Liberal Party, where he managed leadership turmoil within the party after the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972 which saw many of Australia's ties with Britain abolished. With parliamentary preselection virtually assured, Southey's political hopes were dashed after confidential memos he had sent to Prime Minister

William McMahon Sir William McMahon (23 February 190831 March 1988) was an Australian politician who served as the 20th Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1971 to 1972 as leader of the Liberal Party. He was a government minister for over 21 years, ...

, in which he called for several newspaper editors to be "straightened out", were published in a book. Southey stood down as president in 1975, and did not seek election. By that time he was managing director of William Haughton, as well as chairman of several other companies. In 1978, he was invited to join the Australian Ballet as a director, and was appointed chairman in 1980 after resolving an industrial dispute and dancers' strike. Southey's involvement with the dance world had begun during his childhood, when his uncle, the ophthalmologist Ringland Anderson, looked after members of the Ballets Russes when they visited Australia.

Honours

* Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1970, as President of the Liberal Party of VictoriaSOUTHEY, Robert John
''It's an Honour'', 13 June 1970. *

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...

in 1976, for services to politicsSOUTHEY, Robert John
''It's an Honour'', 12 June 1976. * Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1993, for service to the arts particularly through the Australian Ballet FoundationSOUTHEY, Robert John
''It's an Honour'', 13 June 1993.

Personal life

Southey was married twice, first, on 20 August 1946, to Valerie Clarke, the daughter of Liberal politician Sir Frank Clarke, who was President of the Victorian Legislative Council. Valerie Southey died on 30 November 1977, and from 1982 he was married to Marigold Shelmerdine (née

Myer Myer (stylised MYER, sometimes known as Myers) is an Australian mid-range to upscale department store chain. It trades in all Australian states and one of Australia's two self-governing territories. Myer retails a broad range of products ...

) until his death in 1998.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southey, Robert 1922 births 1998 deaths Australian corporate directors Businesspeople from Melbourne Australian Knights Bachelor Officers of the Order of Australia Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst People educated at Trinity College (University of Melbourne) People educated at Geelong Grammar School Members of Leander Club Coldstream Guards officers Liberal Party of Australia Australian expatriates in the United Kingdom