Alfred Downward (c. 1847 – 26 June 1930) was an Australian politician. Born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

to Edward and Elizabeth Downward, he was educated at

Prahran Prahran ( , also colloquially or ), is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area. Prahran recorded a population ...

and Mornington before working on his father's Balnarring sheep farm. From 1874, he had his own property and was highly involved in settlement on the

Mornington Peninsula The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located in the south of Greater Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to ...

. In 1879, he married Josephine Kerr at Hawthorn, with whom he had seven children. He was a member of Flinders and Kangerong Shire Council for twenty-five years, serving as president from 1890 to 1892, and was also a Mornington Shire Councillor and president. He was elected to the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the states and territories of Australia, state lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the state upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament H ...

for Mornington in 1894, serving until 1929. He was Minister for Water Supply and Agriculture (1908–09), Minister of Mines,

Forests A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...

and

Public Health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

(1917–18), and Minister for Immigration (1924–27). Downward died in Mornington in 1930.

References

1840s births 1930 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Ministers for health (Victoria) Vice-presidents of the Board of Land and Works Presidents of the Board of Land and Works Politicians from Melbourne Victoria (state) local councillors Ministers for agriculture (Victoria) Ministers for forests (Victoria) Ministers for water (Victoria) Ministers of mines (Victoria) Ministers of immigration (Victoria) {{Australia-politician-stub Commissioners of crown lands and survey (Victoria)