Percy Phipps Abbott, (14 May 1869 – 9 September 1940) was an Australian soldier, politician and solicitor.

Early life

Born in Hobart, Tasmania, to John William Abbott and Mary Ann, née Phipps, he was educated at

The Hutchins School , motto_translation = Character lives after death , city = Hobart , state = Tasmania , country = Australia , coordinates = , type = Independent, day & boarding , de ...

in Hobart and in 1889 was sent to Sydney as an assistant to a solicitor called Thomas Creswell. He was admitted to the practice in 1894. He was an active man and participated in rowing and cricket, and also enrolled as a special constable during the

wharf A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locatio ...

labourers' strike of 1891.

Local and federal politics

Moving to a Glen Innes practice in 1893, Abbott married Elizabeth Matilda Ross, née King, at Tamworth on 2 September 1901, and continued to be an active sportsman. He was involved in a wide variety of local organisations, including the Northern Border Cricket Association and Glen Innes Rifle Club, as well as being a keen fisherman and racehorse breeder. He served on Glen Innes Municipal Council (1898–1904, 1906–1914) and was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

from 1910 to 1913, as well as being president of the hospital board. In 1913, backed by the Farmers and Settlers' Association, he was elected to the

Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. The term of members o ...

as a member of the

Commonwealth Liberal Party The Liberal Party was a parliamentary party in Australian federal politics between 1909 and 1917. The party was founded under Alfred Deakin's leadership as a merger of the Protectionist Party and Anti-Socialist Party, an event known as the Fus ...

for the seat of

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

, which he represented until 1919 (during which time the party had morphed into the Nationalist Party).

Military service

In 1898, Abbott joined the 4th Infantry Regiment as a second

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

, moving, by 1905, to the 6th

Australian Light Horse Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both cavalry and mounted infantry, who served in the Second Boer War and World War I. During the inter-war years, a number of regiments were raised as part of Australia's part-t ...

. He was a captain by 1908 and a major the next year, and commanded the 5th Light Horse from 1913. In March 1915 he sailed for Egypt as a lieutenant colonel in the Australian Imperial Force. His diary contains many declarations of the "wickedness of Germany", and there are still strong indications of a sense of Australian

egalitarianism Egalitarianism (), or equalitarianism, is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds from the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hu ...

. He was a fierce critic of British strategy at Gallipoli, and was soon commander of the 10th Light Horse. In October 1915 Abbott was evacuated to England with

enteric fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

, where he maintained his standing by commanding the Australian staging camps. A strong supporter of conscription who was horrified at the number of troops voting against it, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in June 1917 and was selected as commander of the 63rd Battalion, which was disbanded before it could serve. He distinguished himself in France with the 30th Battalion, and by the year's end was again commander of the 12th Light Horse Regiment. He was forced to return to Australia in April 1918 suffering recurrences of enteric fever, as well as a chronic eye complaint and the effects of gas, but continued to command the 12th (or, as it became, New England Light Horse) until 1929. He was awarded the

Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration, post-nominal letters VD, was established in 1899 as recognition for long and meritorious service as a part-time commissioned officer in any of the organized military forces of the British Colo ...

in 1919.

Return to politics

In 1919, having re-established himself as a solicitor, Abbott headed the Country Party's

campaign for the state election, accompanying Sir Michael Bruxner on his electoral tour. Although he failed in an attempt to be elected to the Senate in 1922, he succeeded in taking a seat in 1925, only to lose it again in 1928. An unpredictable and sometimes bitter parliamentarian, Abbott spoke frequently on many matters and was known for his charming and humorous speeches. He sat on the 1927–29 royal commission on the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

, presenting several minority reports.

Later life

Abbott sold his firm in 1932 to his eldest son and retired to Tamworth. Unable to settle into a quiet retirement, he established a new practice, and was a member of the Union and Civic clubs in Sydney. When he died on 9 September 1940 of

asthmatic Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coug ...

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

and heart failure, he left his wife and four children (three sons and a daughter) with a huge amount of debt (around £16,611).

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, Percy 1869 births 1940 deaths Commonwealth Liberal Party members of the Parliament of Australia Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Members of the Australian House of Representatives Members of the Australian House of Representatives for New England Members of the Australian Senate for New South Wales National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Nationalist Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Politicians from Hobart Deaths from bronchitis 20th-century Australian politicians People educated at The Hutchins School