Rupert Colman Curnow (30 October 1898 – 18 December 1950) was an Australian politician. Born in

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

to schoolteacher Josiah Curnow and Florence Daws, he attended Ballarat Grammar School and studied medicine before he enlisted in the 8th Light Horse in 1914, serving in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

until 1918, when he was wounded. Through the soldier settler program he became a grazier at

Corryong Corryong is a small town in Victoria, Australia east of Albury-Wodonga, near the upper reaches of the Murray River and close to the New South Wales border. At the , Corryong had a population of 1,348. The post office opened on 1 February 18 ...

, and on 16 November 1923 married Eileen Adeline Purcell, with whom he had two children. In 1934 he moved to

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

, and from 1942 to 1946 was a member of the State Repatriation Board. He was active in the

Returned and Services League The Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) is a support organisation for people who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force. Mission The RSL's mission is to ensure that programs are in place for the well-being, care ...

, serving on the state council (1939–50), the state executive (1941–48), and as vice-president (1945–47). He also served on Upper Murray Shire Council from 1933 to 1935. In 1947 he was elected to the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presiding ...

as the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

member for

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...

, serving until 1950, when he died at

References

1898 births 1950 deaths People from Ballarat Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Australian Army soldiers Victoria (state) local councillors 20th-century Australian politicians {{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub