Richard Arthur (25 October 1865 – 21 May 1932) was an Australian politician, social reformer and medical practitioner.

Early life

Arthur was born in

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alde ...

, Hampshire, England and educated at

Dover College , motto_translation = I cannot refuse the task , established = , closed = , type = Public SchoolIndependent day and boarding , religion = Church of England , headmaster = Simon Fisher , r_head_label = , r_head ...

. He received 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. ...

from the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

(1885) and a

MB ChB Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

(1888). He worked in the slums of Edinburgh, but contracted

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over severa ...

. He met and married his wife, Jessie Sinclair Bruce, daughter of David Bruce, in Australia in 1890. He returned to Europe and studied

hypnotism Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...

in Paris, which earned him an MD from the University of Edinburgh in 1891. After again becoming ill working in the slums of London, he returned to Australia and established a practice in the Sydney suburb of

Mosman Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local gov ...

, specialising in eye, ear-nose-and-throat, and dental work. He was a director of the

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (abbreviated RPAH or RPA) is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown. It is a teaching hospital of the Central Clinical School of the Sydney Medical School a ...

from 1917 to 1920 and from 1927 to 1931 and of

Sydney Hospital Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first receiv ...

from 1924 to 1932.

Political career

Arthur was elected in 1904 to the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House ...

as member for

Middle Harbour Middle Harbour (or ''Warrin ga''), a semi–mature tide dominated drowned valley estuary, is the northern arm of Port Jackson, an inlet of the Tasman Sea located north of Sydney central business district on the coast of New South Wales, Aust ...

, representing the Liberal and Reform Party. In December 1912, he became the inaugural president of the Eugenics Society of New South Wales.The Sydney Morning Herald, 11 December 1912
/ref> He became an early advocate of child endowment in 1916 and was a strong supporter of closer settlement and assisted immigration to reduce the Japanese threat. From 1920 to 1927, he represented

North Shore North Shore or Northshore may refer to: Geographic features Australia *North Shore (Sydney), a suburban region of Sydney **Electoral district of North Shore **North Shore railway line, Sydney *Noosa North Shore, Queensland * North Shore, New So ...

. He was chairman of the 1923 Royal Commission on Lunacy Law and Administration and, as a

eugenicist Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or ...

, recommended special training and institutions for "defectives". He represented

from 1927 to 1932 and was Minister for Public Health from 1927 to 1930 during the Bavin Government, but he failed to carry a mental defectives bill. Arthur died in

and was survived by his wife, son and two daughters. His wife's sister, Mary Alexander Sinclair Bruce, was married to Frederick Smythe Willis, sometime mayor of Willoughby,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and a founder member (and first hon. treasurer) of the Corporation of Accountants of Australia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur, Richard 1865 births 1932 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of St Andrews Australian eugenicists Australian otolaryngologists Australian Presbyterians English emigrants to Australia Free Trade Party politicians Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Nationalist Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales People educated at Dover College People from Aldershot United Australia Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales British social reformers