Robert Benson (Australian Politician)
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Robert Benson (c.1800 – 11 June 1860) was a miner and politician in colonial
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
, a member of the
Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...
. Benson arrived in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
in 1852 and soon went to
Bendigo Bendigo ( ) is a city in Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2019, Bendigo had an urban population of 100,991, makin ...
, then known as Sandhurst, where he became a member of the first local court in 1855. On 15 November 1855, Benson was elected to the unicameral Victorian Legislative Council for Sandhurst, a position he held until the original Council was abolished in March 1856. Benson unsuccessfully contested the Assembly seats of Loddon in 1856 and Sandhurst and Creswick in 1859. He sold his property to pay for his electioneering expenses and died in poverty in
Bendigo, Victoria Bendigo ( ) is a city in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2019, Bendigo had an urban populat ...
on 11 June 1860. He was married to Anne.


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References

  {{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Robert 1800 births 1860 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Council 19th-century Australian politicians