Sir Arthur Campbell Rymill (8 December 1907 – 27 March 1989) was a businessman, solicitor and Lord Mayor of Adelaide, South Australia.

History

Born in Adelaide, the son of businessman Arthur Graham Rymill (9 May 1868 – 10 September 1934) and Agnes Lucy Rymill née Campbell (1 February 1886 – 22 August 1966), and grandson of

Henry Rymill Henry Rymill (1 May 1836 – 21 February 1927) and Frank Rymill (27 November 1837 – 26 May 1915) were brothers prominent in business and public service in the 19th century South Australia. Henry "Harry" Rymill and Francis "Frank" Rymill were ...

, Arthur was educated at Queen's School, St Peter's College and the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

. He was admitted to the Bar in 1930. First elected to the Adelaide City Council in 1933, Rymill represented Young Ward until 1937. In the next two years he was councillor for Robe ward. On 16 June 1940 he enlisted as a private in the 2/14th Field Regiment, 2nd AIF, and was commissioned as lieutenant on 1 January 1941. He was however injured in an Army vehicle accident (in Sydney according to one report), and was invalided out of the service in May. He returned to his practice and later served as a part-time Red Cross representative and with the Naval Auxiliary Patrol off the Outer Harbor. He was elected to the MacDonnell ward of the Adelaide City Council in 1945 and held it until 1950, when he resigned to contest the Lord Mayoralty. He became, after Sir John Lavington Bonython, the youngest elected mayor of Adelaide, and served four terms in the position. Assisted by longtime (1947–1965) town clerk (and close friend)

W. C. D. Veale Brigadier William Charles Douglas Veale, (16 May 1895 – 17 August 1971), generally known as W. C. D. Veale, was an Australian engineer, surveyor and soldier. He is best known as the longtime (1947–1965) town clerk of the Adelaide City Counci ...

, he commissioned significant improvements to the city's Parklands. He was, for a time, chairman of the City Council's parliamentary and by-laws committee.

Politics

A lifelong supporter of the conservative wing of South Australia's

Liberal and Country League 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 ...

, and diametrically opposed to the likes of

Robin Millhouse Robin Rhodes Millhouse, QC (9 December 1929 – 28 April 2017) was, at various times, the 39th Attorney-General of South Australia, the first Australian Democrats parliamentarian, and the Chief Justice of both Kiribati and Nauru and a judge of ...

and

Steele Hall Raymond Steele Hall (born 30 November 1928) is a former Australian politician who served as the 36th Premier of South Australia from 1968 to 1970. He also served in the federal Parliament as a senator for South Australia from 1974 to 1977 and ...

, he supported property enfranchisement qualification which applied in the State until (1970?), which meant that only landowners (and citizens with overseas war service) could vote in the Legislative Council. He was its deputy president, chairman of its finance committee, and its president (1953–1955). He supported the

Menzies Menzies is a Scottish surname, with Gaelic forms being Méinnearach and Méinn, and other variant forms being Menigees, Mennes, Mengzes, Menzeys, Mengies, and Minges. Derivation and history The name and its Gaelic form are probably derived f ...

government's 1951 referendum to ban the

Communist Party of Australia The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was an Australian political parties, Australian political party founded in 1920. The party existed until roughly 1991, with its membersh ...

. He was

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

unopposed in 1956 to the

South Australian Legislative Council The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the South Australian House of Assembly, ...

as a member for Central District No.2. and held the seat until 1975.

Other Interests

A. C. Rymill was a noted polo player, representing South Australia in interstate matches 1933–1951, including the Gold Cup tournament in Sydney in 1938. He was a speedboat driver and won the 1933 Australasian hydroplane championship in his father's hydroplane ''Tortoise II'' against H. McEvoy's ''Cettein''. The following year it sank in Outer Harbor when it "flipped" after reaching 70 miles an hour. He was on the board of many companies: *Chairman, Advertiser Newspapers Ltd 1980–83, *Director, The Bank of Adelaide 1953–80 (Chairman 1953–79), *Member of Principal Board, AMP Society 1964–1980, *Director of Public Companies of South Australia, *Director, Bennett and Fisher, *Director, South Australian Brewing Company. He held many public offices: *First President, National Trust of SA, *Vice-President, Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust 1954–63, *Member of foundation board of Adelaide Festival of Arts, *Member of the Adelaide Children's Hospital board (Vice-President 1957–84). He was a member of the

Adelaide Club The Adelaide Club is an exclusive gentlemen's club situated on North Terrace in the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. Founded in 1863, the club comprises members of the Adelaide Establishment. South Australian Club (1838–1843) An ea ...

from 1929 (president 1979–1980) and a member of the Melbourne Club from 1956.

Recognition

Arthur Campbell Rymill was knighted in 1954. Adelaide's

Rymill Park Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka (previously spelt Mullawirraburka), and numbered as Park 14, is a recreation park located in the East Park Lands of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. There is an artificial lake with rowboats for hire, a ...

was named for him.

Family

He married Margaret Earle Cudmore (8 August 1913 – ca.2004) on 27 December 1934. They had two daughters: *Rosemary (ca.1937 – ) *Annabel (ca.1942 – ) Their home was 39 Brougham Place, North Adelaide. The house was built for A. G. Rymill in 1907. Now part of Lincoln College, the building is known as Whitehead and serves as the principal's residence.Rymill House, 39 Brougham Place, North Adelaide
Adelaide Federation Heritage

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rymill, Arthur Campbell Mayors and Lord Mayors of Adelaide Members of the South Australian Legislative Council People educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide Australian solicitors Australian motorboat racers Australian polo players 1907 births 1989 deaths

Arthur Campbell Rymill Sir Arthur Campbell Rymill (8 December 1907 – 27 March 1989) was a businessman, solicitor and Lord Mayor of Adelaide, South Australia. History Born in Adelaide, the son of businessman Arthur Graham Rymill (9 May 1868 – 10 September 1934) ...

Liberal and Country League politicians Adelaide Club 20th-century Australian politicians 20th-century Australian businesspeople Australian Army personnel of World War II Australian Army officers