Henry Isaac Cohen (21 February 1872 – 20 December 1942) was an Australian barrister and politician.

Personal life

Isaac Henry Cohen, always known as Henry Isaac, was born in Melbourne to financier David Cohen and Rachael Marks, both of London. On 27 June 1901 he married Ethel Mary Keon of

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copied ...

. Cohen retained Jewish associations but his wife was a Catholic; their three sons and two daughters, who adopted the name Keon-Cohen, were brought up as Anglicans and attended Presbyterian schools.

Education

Cohen attended St James' Grammar School, the Melbourne Hebrew School and, from 1885, Scotch College where he was dux in 1888 and 1889. A student of Ormond College, University of Melbourne, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1894 and a

Bachelor of Law Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

with honours in 1895.

Barrister

In 1896 Cohen was called to the bar, but his career progressed slowly in the depressed 1890s. However, after a widely reported case in 1906, he began to prosper, building up a large practice in all jurisdictions except the criminal. He took silk in 1920.

Politician and public life

At a by-election in May 1921, Cohen was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for

Melbourne Province Melbourne Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council (Australia). Melbourne Province was created in 1882 when Central Province was abolished in the redistribution of Provinces. Its area included central Melbourne, Carlto ...

as a Nationalist. He was a minister without portfolio from 1923 to 1924, Minister of Public Works and Mines from March to July 1924, Attorney-General and Solicitor-General in July 1924, Minister of Public Instruction from 1928 to 1929, and Minister of Water Supply and Electrical Undertakings from March to April 1935. He was the unofficial leader of the Nationalist Party in the Legislative Council from 1922 to 1923, 1924 to 1929, and 1935 to 1937. In 1937 he contested

Higinbotham Province Higinbotham Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council. It existed as a two-member electorate from 1937 to 2006, with members serving alternating eight-year terms. It was considered a safe seat for the Liberal throughout ...

but lost to James Kennedy. Cohen was a trustee of the Melbourne Exhibition for twenty years from February 1922. Active in welfare movements during the Depression, he was a member of the Slum Abolition Council and the Big Brother Movement and was president of the Children's Welfare Association. Cohen was a foundation member of the Old Scotch Collegians' Club and was president of the Association in 1921-1922.

Death

He died in Armadale on 20 December 1942.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Henry 1872 births 1942 deaths Nationalist Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria United Australia Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Vice-Presidents of the Board of Land and Works Attorneys-General of Victoria Solicitors-General of Victoria Australian King's Counsel Jewish Australian politicians Politicians from Melbourne Australian people of English-Jewish descent University of Melbourne alumni