Richard Foster (Australian politician)
| The Honourable Richard Foster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Wakefield | |
|
In office 28 August 1909 – 17 November 1928 | |
| Preceded by | Frederick Holder |
| Succeeded by | Maurice Collins |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
20 August 1856 Goodmanham, Yorkshire, England |
| Died |
5 January 1932 (aged 75) St Peters, South Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party |
Liberal (1909–17) Nationalist (1917–22) Liberal (1922–25) Nationalist (1925–28) |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Lees |
| Occupation | Grocer |
Richard Witty Foster (20 August 1856 – 5 January 1932)[1] was an Australian politician, a member of the Parliament of Australia.
Foster was born in Goodmanham, Pocklington, Yorkshire, England and educated at Prospect House, Tockwith and apprenticed to a draper. He emigrated to South Australia in 1880 and established a business as a grocer and general provider at Quorn. He married Elizabeth Lees in September 1884. He was elected to the Corporate Town of Quorn council in 1887 and was mayor from 1890 to 1892.[2]
Political career
On 19 April 1893, Foster was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly as the member for Newcastle, a seat he held until Newcastle was abolished on 2 May 1902.[1] From 3 May 1902 until 2 November 1906, Foster represented Flinders.[1] He was Commissioner for Public Works from 8 December 1899 to 4 July 1904[1] and Minister for Industry from 1902 to 1904 in the liberal governments of Frederick Holder and John Jenkins. He resigned from the ministry in 1904, but still supported Jenkins until it fell in 1905 and was then Commissioner for Public Works and Minister for Agriculture in the conservative administration of Richard Butler, but lost his seat in 1906.[2]
Foster won the seat of Wakefield in the Australian House of Representatives at a 1909 by-election for the Commonwealth Liberal Party. In December 1921, he was appointed Minister for Works and Railways in the Hughes ministry, but was dropped from the ministry in February 1923 by Stanley Bruce. He refused to join the South Australian Country Party and was beaten by its candidate, Maurice Collins in the 1928 elections.[2]
Foster died in the Adelaide suburb of St Peters on 5 January 1932, survived by his wife, three daughters and a son.[2]
Notes
- 1 2 3 4 "Richard Witty Foster". Former Member of Parliament Details. Parliament of South Australia.
- 1 2 3 4 McDonald, D. I. (1981). "Foster, Richard Witty (1856 - 1932)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
| Civic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Lord |
Mayor of Quorn 1890–1892 |
Succeeded by John Rock |
| Parliament of South Australia | ||
| Preceded by Joseph Hancock |
Member for Newcastle 1883-1892 Served alongside: Thomas Burgoyne |
Succeeded by Electorate abolished |
| Preceded by William Tennant Mortlock |
Member for Flinders 1902-1906 Served alongside: Thomas Burgoyne David McKenzie |
Succeeded by John Travers |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Andrew Handyside |
South Australian Commissioner of Public Works 1899 – 1904 |
Vacant Title next held by Richard Foster |
| Vacant Title last held by Richard Foster |
South Australian Commissioner of Public Works 1905 |
Succeeded by Thomas Price |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by Frederick Holder |
Member for Wakefield 1909 – 1928 |
Succeeded by Maurice Collins |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by William Watt |
Federal Minister for Works and Railways 1921 – 1923 |
Succeeded by Percy Stewart |