Sir Samuel Robert Walder (8 October 1879 – 24 November 1946) was an Australian businessman and politician. He was a long-serving member of the

Sydney City Council The City of Sydney is the local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament in 1842, the City of Sydney is ...

, including as

Lord Mayor of Sydney The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Sydney is the head of the Council of the City of Sydney, which is the local government area covering the central business district of Sydney in the State of New South Wales, Australia. The Lord Mayor has b ...

in 1932, and was also a member of the

New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. Along with the New South Wales Legislative As ...

from 1932 to 1943.

Early life and business career

Samuel Robert Walder was born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

on 8 October 1879, the son of Mary Ann (Hatton) and Samuel Walder, a sail-maker. After being educated at Cleveland Street Public School and

Christ Church St Laurence Christ Church St Laurence is an Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican church (building), church located at 814 George Street, Sydney, George Street, near Central railway station, Sydney, Central railway station and Haymarket, in City of Sydney, ...

Parish School, he left school at age 13 and entered his father's sail, tent and tarpaulin manufacturing business as an apprentice. When his father died, the 18-year-old Walder took over as manager. He expanded the business and floated it as a

Limited company In a limited company, the Legal liability, liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by Share (finance), shares or by guarantee. In a c ...

, ''S. Walder Ltd'', in 1911. On 22 March 1911 he married Elsie Helena Blunt, a milliner, at St Martin's Anglican Church,

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

. They had two children together, Mollie and Samuel; Mollie married the English cricketer

John Human John Hanbury Human (16 January 1912 – 22 July 1991) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket in the 1930s before moving to Australia. Cricket career John Human was educated at Repton and Clare College, Cambridge. He toured twic ...

. After the death of his sister Mary in 1917, Walder and his wife helped raise his nephew

William McMahon Sir William McMahon (23 February 190831 March 1988), also known as Billy McMahon, was an Australian politician who served as the 20th prime minister of Australia from 1971 to 1972. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia ...

, who would eventually become

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...

. He was the chief paternal influence on McMahon, whose own father was absent. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Walder's company obtained a government contract to supply tents to the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

. With the success of his company, Walder expanded his business activities, becoming a director of the local board of Eagle Star and British Dominions Fire Insurance Company, Lowe Brothers, Monsoon Waterproofing Company and as the chairman of directors of Sargents Limited. In 1924 he retired as managing director of ''S. Walder Ltd'', which remained a family company.

Political career

Sydney City Council

Walder was a prominent member of the Sydney community, being a member of the Sydney Chamber of Manufactures,

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

, and the Master Retailers Association. He was also a director of

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (abbreviated RPAH or RPA) is a large 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 at the ...

from 1933 to 1935 and a member of the

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest Service club, service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, go ...

of Sydney. In December 1924, Walder was elected to the

at a by-election for Flinders Ward, standing for the

Civic Reform Association The Civic Reform Association (CRA), also known as the Civic Reform Movement, the Civic Reform Party or simply Reform, was an Australian ratepayers' organisation and local political party which contested elections for the City of Sydney. The p ...

. His first term as an alderman lasted until 1927, when the council was dismissed, but when the council returned in 1930 he was elected for Macquarie Ward. He was the secretary of the Citizens' Reform Association from 1925 to 1941. On 9 December 1931, Walder was elected by the council as

, noting that he had "realised the ambition of my life". Taking office in 1932, Walder led the council during the worst year of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and chaired the Citizens' Employment Committee, which assisted citizens in obtaining employment. The civic improvements and events undertaken during his tenure included the extension of

Martin Place Martin Place is a pedestrian mall in the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. Martin Place has been described as the "civic heart" of Sydney.

to Macquarie Street, the unveiling of the

Archibald Fountain The Archibald Fountain, properly called the J. F. Archibald Memorial Fountain, is located in Hyde Park, in central Sydney. It is named after J. F. Archibald, owner and editor of '' The Bulletin'' magazine, who bequeathed funds to have it built ...

on 14 March 1932 and the opening of the

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North ...

on 19 March 1932. On 2 January 1933, he was made a

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 Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

for his service as Lord Mayor. Sydney Harbour Bridge opening

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Walder chaired Sydney City Council's National Emergency Services committee, advocating the construction of underground air-raid shelters and other measures preparing for possible attack. He served as an alderman until his retirement in December 1941.

State politics

As Lord Mayor, Walder was given a life appointment to the

from 8 September 1932. However, with the abolition of life appointments and the introduction of indirect elections to the council in 1933, Walder was elected as a member on 21 November 1933. An active philanthropist along with his wife, in 1933 he donated £100 towards an initiative to build houses for the financially distressed. As a vice-president of the liberal conservative National Association of New South Wales in 1930 and a member of the committee that negotiated the creation of the

United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four Elections in Australia, federal elections in that time, usually governing Coalition (Australia), in coalition ...

, of which he was a vice-president in 1933–1939, Walder sat for the UAP in the Legislative Council until his defeat in April 1943. Survived by his wife, son and daughter, he died of cancer on 24 November 1946 at Woollahra and was buried in

Waverley Cemetery The Waverley Cemetery is a Heritage register, heritage-listed cemetery on top of the cliffs at Bronte, New South Wales, Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Opened in 1877 and built by R. Watkins (cemetery lodge, ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walder, Samuel 1879 births 1946 deaths Australian businesspeople Australian Anglicans Australian people of English descent Australian Knights Bachelor Mayors and lord mayors of Sydney Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council United Australia Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales Civic Reform Association politicians