Edward Russell Thomas Reynolds QC (16 April 1892 – 13 July 1971) was an Australian politician. Born at

Walhalla, Victoria Walhalla is a town in Victoria, Australia, founded as a gold-mining community in late 1862, and at its peak, home to around 4,000 residents. As of 2023, the town has a population of 20 permanent residents, though it has a large proportion of ...

, to lawyer Thomas O'Loghlen Reynolds and Jane Mary Hutchinson, he attended

Coburg Coburg ( , ) is a Town#Germany, town located on the Itz (river), Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Ernestine duchies, Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only ...

State School and then

Carlton College Carleton College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1866, the main campus is between Northfield and the approximately Cowling Arboretum, which became part of the campus in the 1920s. Th ...

where he matriculated in 1908 top of his class. On leaving school, he went to

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

, where he won the Henry Berthon Scholarship in December 1909 for the 1910 academic year and received his

Bachelor of Law A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

in 1913. He contested, unsuccessfully, the 1914 Federal Election, in the seat of Maribyrnong. When the election was called, he was 22 years old, but had already done "much valuable work at the last Federal election, and has shown considerable debating ability. As a member of the Trinity College Dialectic Society he gained a reputation as a keen and capable debater. He is a member of the Liberal Speakers' Association." Reynolds was called to the bar in 1915 but in that year enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, serving until 1919 as a subaltern in France and Belgium. He married Edna Florence Davy, with whom he had two daughters; later, in 1935, he married Joan Nicholls, with whom he also had two daughters. He was President of the

Law Council of Australia The Law Council of Australia, founded in 1933, is an association of law societies and bar associations from the states and territories of Australia, and the peak body representing the legal profession in Australia. The Law Council represents m ...

from 1947 to 1948 and leader of the Victorian Bar from 1946 to 1952. In 1948 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 ...

in a by-election for the seat of

Toorak Toorak () is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area. Toorak recorded a population of 12,817 at the 2021 census. The name ...

as a representative of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

, after the death of

Robert Bell Hamilton Robert Bell Hamilton (20 October 1892 – 15 May 1948) was a notable Australian architect and also Member of the Legislative Assembly for the State electoral district of Toorak in Victoria. Biography Robert Bell Hamilton's architectural works i ...

. He served until his resignation in 1952. Reynolds died in 1971 at East

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 ...

. He is survived by four daughters, Patricia, Shirley, Leslie and Julia (deceased, 2020).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Edward 1892 births 1971 deaths People educated at Trinity College (University of Melbourne) Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Australian King's Counsel Australian barristers Melbourne Law School alumni Australian Army soldiers 20th-century Australian politicians People educated at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School