Sir John Bowser (2 September 1856 – 10 June 1936),
[
] Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n politician, was the 26th
Premier of Victoria. He was born in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, the son of an army officer, and arrived 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 ...
as a child with his family. He grew up at
Bacchus Marsh and when he left school got a job with the ''Bacchus Marsh Express''. As a young man he went to
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
and worked on newspapers while studying at
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
. Returning to Australia, he settled in
Wangaratta
Wangaratta ( ) is a city in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, from Melbourne along the Hume Highway. The city had a population of 29,808 per the 2021 Australian Census.
The city is located at the confluence, junction of the Ovens River, ...
, where he farmed and managed the ''Wangaratta Chronicle'', which he eventually bought.
In October 1894, Bowser 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
Wangaratta and Rutherglen.
[ Wangaratta and Rutherglen was renamed to ]Electoral district of Wangaratta
The Electoral district of Wangaratta was an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
It was created in the redistribution of 1904, the Electoral district of Wangaratta and Rutherglen being abolished.
The district of Wangaratt ...
in 1906, and was renamed again to Electoral district of Wangaratta and Ovens in 1927. Bowser held the seat until November 1929. In total Bowser represented Wangaratta, in its different names, for 35 years. He was Minister of Public Instruction in the Liberal government of Thomas Bent in 1908–1909, but thereafter did not hold office again until he became Premier. He emerged as one of the leaders of the conservative rural faction of the Liberal Party, known as the Economy Party, concerned with getting roads and railways to their districts, cutting government expenditure, and keeping country areas over-represented in the Assembly.
In 1917, the Liberal Premier, Alexander Peacock, increased country rail fares, arguing that the Victorian Railways would otherwise become insolvent. In protest, Bowser led his faction into opposition, and at the election in November, Bowser's followers won 27 seats, to Labor's 18, the Peacock Liberals' 12 and the Victorian Farmers Union's four. Peacock resigned and Bowser became Premier. He rescinded Peacock's rail fares increases, but had no answer to the larger problem of railway finances. In May 1918, he was defeated in the Assembly when all the other parties voted against a railways estimates bill.
Bowser, who had little taste for office, immediately resigned, and a Peacock Liberal, Harry Lawson, formed a composite ministry of the various Liberal factions, with Bowser as Chief Secretary and Minister for Public Health, posts he held until 1919. In 1921, he joined the newly formed Country Party. In 1924, he was elected Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, which was becoming a traditional honour for former Premiers. He was knighted in 1927 and retired from politics in 1929.
In 1922, a railway station just north of Wangaratta was named after him.
References
*Geoff Browne, ''A Biographical Register of the Victorian Parliament, 1900-84'', Government Printer, Melbourne, 1985
*Don Garden, ''Victoria: A History'', Thomas Nelson, Melbourne, 1984
*Kathleen Thompson and Geoffrey Serle, ''A Biographical Register of the Victorian Parliament, 1856-1900'', Australian National University Press, Canberra, 1972
* Raymond Wright, ''A People's Counsel. A History of the Parliament of Victoria, 1856-1990'', Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1992
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowser, John
1856 births
1936 deaths
Premiers of Victoria
Victoria (state) state politicians
People from Bacchus Marsh
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Ministers for health (Victoria)
Vice-presidents of the Board of Land and Works
Chief secretaries of Victoria
Speakers of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Australian Knights Bachelor
British emigrants to the Colony of Victoria
Ministers for labour (Victoria)
Ministers for education (Victoria)