Edwin Wesley Howard Fowles (17 June 1871 – 29 December 1945) was a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

, journalist, and member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

Early life

Fowles was born in December 1871 at Oxley, Queensland, to William Fowles, schoolteacher, and his wife Nancy (née Whittle). He began his education at home, being taught by his father before attending

Brisbane Normal School , motto_translation = Knowledge is Power , city = South Brisbane , state = Queensland , country = Australia , coordinates = , type = Public, selective, co-educational, secondary, ...

. In 1884 Fowles won a government scholarship to

Brisbane Grammar School , motto_translation = Nothing Without Labour , established = 1868 , type = Independent, day & boarding , gender = Boys , denomination = Non-denominational , slogan = , key_people = , ci ...

, winning the Lilley medal in 1887 before attending Ormond College at Melbourne University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in 1893, then a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Laws in 1895.Fowles, Edwin Wesley Howard (1871–1945)
–

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

. Retrieved 3 April 2015. He began his teaching career in 1895 and Cumloden College, Melbourne and briefly returned to Queensland to teach at

Maryborough Boys Grammar School Maryborough State High School (commonly abbreviated as 'MSHS') is an Independent Public School located in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia. The school is run by the Queensland State Government, and is split on either side of Kent Street. The s ...

before travelling back to Victoria, this time teaching at Geelong College. He was admitted to the

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in 1901 but within a year he was back in Queensland practicing law.

Political career

Fowles first attempt at entering the Queensland Parliament came at the 1912 state election when, representing the Liberals, he was a candidate for the seat of Fortitude Valley but was soundly defeated by David Bowman of the Labor Party. Just three months after his defeat, Fowles was appointed to the Legislative Council in July 1912 by Queensland Premier, Digby Denham. He had excellent debating skills and a quick wit to stop any would be interjectors. As the unofficial opposition leader in the Council in 1915, Fowles often led his team in rejecting legislation that had been prepared by the

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-led Labor government. Following the Council's abolition in 1922, Fowles once again stood as a candidate for Fortitude Valley at the 1923 state election, losing to Labor's

Thomas Wilson Thomas Wilson, Tom Wilson or Tommy Wilson may refer to: Actors * Thomas F. Wilson (born 1959), American actor most famous for his role of Biff Tannen in the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy *Tom Wilson (actor) (1880–1965), American actor *Dan Gre ...

He had one more attempt at entering the Legislative Assembly in

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...

but once again lost, this time to Peter McLachlan in the seat of Merthyr.

Personal life

In 1904, Fowles married Janet Mary Archibald, the daughter of John Archibald (also a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council). Fowles died in 1945 and following a service at Kingsholme Methodist Church was cremated at Mount Thompson crematorium.

Music

Doctor Fowles composed two suites of hymns, published around 1932, among others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fowles, Edwin Members of the Queensland Legislative Council 1871 births 1945 deaths People from Brisbane