Arthur Short (18 June 1850 – 25 October 1933) was a politician in the British colony of South Australia. Arthur was born in Salisbury, South Australia to Edwin and Ann Short, née Kerwin. Edwin was a son of Captain William Short H.E.I.C.S., and may also have served in the East India Company, Edwin here cited as commodore with H.E.I.C.; this distinction may have properly referred to his father. but had been

chief officer A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...

on the ''Emma'' trading between Adelaide and Sydney. He married in Sydney in October 1842 and moved to South Australia the following January. They lived first in South Richmond, as did Edwin's father William, and in 1846 settled at Yankalilla, then around 1848 moved to "Courtwick Farm", Salisbury, where Arthur and his brother Albert excelled in athletics. In 1869 Edwin Short selected near Maitland and the Cocoanut ic/nowiki> Station, Kulpara which the boys managed alone until 1873 when the rest of the family moved to "The Cocoanut". Arthur was educated at a Grammar School. His father, always an aggressive man, around 1860 following a blow to the head, began displaying erratic behaviour. He believed he was being persecuted by the

Rymill brothers Henry Rymill (1 May 1836 – 21 February 1927) and Frank Rymill (27 November 1837 – 26 May 1915) were brothers prominent in business and public service in the 19th century South Australia. Henry "Harry" Rymill and Francis "Frank" Rymill were ...

, Sir Henry Ayers and his own lawyers Way & Symon. He became so violent that in 1876 his wife petitioned for him to be admitted to the

Adelaide Lunatic Asylum The Adelaide Botanic Garden is a public garden at the north-east corner of the Adelaide city centre, in the Adelaide Park Lands. It encompasses a fenced garden on North Terrace (between Lot Fourteen, the site of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital ...

. Edwin Short appealed against his confinement, and was able to produce witnesses as to his sanity, but evidence given by his family and neighbours was compelling. This reference includes useful details of Short family history. Arthur had taken over management of the properties, and in 1880 was licensed as an auctioneer. When Maitland, Kilkerran, Moolywurtie, and Cunningham were formed into a district he was elected the first district clerk, later Maitland's first town clerk, and Mayor for a total of six years. He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Yorke Peninsula and served from April 1893 to April 1896, succeeding

Henry Lamshed Henry Lamshed (11 April 1836 – 13 June 1918) was a farmer and politician in colonial South Australia. Lamshed was born near Plymouth, England, a descendant of an old Newton Abbott, Devonshire, family. He emigrated to South Australia on the , ...

as associate of Harry Bartlett. He stood again, but was beaten by William Copley. He left for Western Australia, where he ran an auctioneering business in

Murray Street, Perth Murray Street is one of four main east-west roads within the Perth central business district (CBD). History The street, the central portion of which has become a pedestrian mall, was named after Sir George Murray, Secretary of State for War ...

from 1898, then Hay Street. He contested the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seats of West Perth in 1900 and East Perth seat in 1901, but was unsuccessful. He filed for bankruptcy in 1904 and returned to South Australia sometime after mid-1906. In 1908 he applied for an auctioneer's licence in South Australia and again in 1916, then began auctioneering for Phillips & Co. of Franklin Street. He had a residence at 157 Fisher Street,

Malvern Malvern or Malverne may refer to: Places Australia * Malvern, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide * Malvern, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne * City of Malvern, a former local government area near Melbourne * Electoral district of Malvern, an e ...

, where he died.

Family

William Short H.E.I.C.S. ( – before October 1873) *Edwin Short ( – ) married Ann Kerwin ( – ) in Sydney in October 1842. Both died before 1926. Their children included: :*Edwin Short jnr (c. 1844 – ) :*William Short (21 October 1846 – ) married Mary Frost (c. May 1846 – 23 April 1917) in 1865. He was born at

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

, farmed at "Courtwick", Salisbury for two years, then from around 1876 a pioneer farmer at Winulta. :*Albert Short (10 April 1848 – ) married Emma Kentish (12 May 1854 – ) on 13 January 1875 :*Arthur Short (18 June 1850 – 25 October 1933) married Julia Nugent Blackham (10 October 1856 – 13 August 1949, daughter of William John James Blackham and Elizabeth Blackham née Guy) on 9 June 1881, lived at Glenelg in 1925 ::*Ida Frances Julia Short (6 January 1883 – 1968) ::*Lillie Estelle/Estella Kerwin/Kirwan Short (14 March 1885 – 1966) ::* Arthur Ernest William Short (24 October 1888 – 19 July 1949), known as Ernest or A.E.W. Short, married Viola Warren on 28 October 1914. He was managing director of paper merchants Woolcott, Short & Co. and elected Lord Mayor of Adelaide 1949, but died a few weeks later. ::*Florence Adair "Florrie" Short (1890–1981) married Augustus Montay/Moutray "Gus" Crane ( –1971) on 18 December 1924 :*Ellen Short (c. 1853 – ) married Charles Albert Abbott ( – ) on 5 September 1898 :*Alfred Short (after 1855 – ) :*Emily Short (c. August 1860 – 4 October 1873) died after falling from a horse

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Short, Arthur 1850 births 1933 deaths Members of the South Australian House of Assembly Australian farmers Australian auctioneers