Arthur Blyth

Sir Arthur Blyth KCMG, CB
9th Premier of South Australia
In office 4 August 1864 – 22 March 1865
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir Dominick Daly
Preceded by	Henry Ayers
Succeeded by	Francis Dutton
In office 10 November 1871 – 22 January 1872
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir James Fergusson
Preceded by	John Hart
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Ayers
In office 22 July 1873 – 3 June 1875
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir Anthony Musgrave
Preceded by	Sir Henry Ayers
Succeeded by	James Boucaut
Personal details
Born	19 March 1823 Birmingham
Died	7 December 1891 (aged 68) Bournemouth
Nationality	Australian
Spouse(s)	Jessie Ann Forrest
Occupation	politician

Sir Arthur Blyth KCMG, CB (19 March 1823 – 7 December 1891)^[1] was Premier of South Australia three times; 1864–1865, 1871–1872 and 1873–1875.^[2]

In 1850 he married Jessie Ann, daughter of Edward Forrest, who survived him with one son and two daughters. He was created a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1877 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1886. A good business man of great common sense Blyth was in eleven cabinets and was three times premier. It was, however, a difficult time for legislation and beyond the Torrens real estate act which Blyth supported, comparatively little important legislation was passed in his period.

Early life

The son of William Blyth and his wife Sarah Wilkins, he was born at Birmingham, England on 21 March 1823. His formative years were spent in Birmingham, and he was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, and arrived with his parents in South Australia in 1839 on the "Ariadne" at the age of 16. His father, who was appointed a Justice of the Peace and became a Councillor of the City Corporation in 1840, and afterwards one of the City Commissioners,^[3] established an ironmongery business in Hindley Street, Adelaide, which Blyth entered with his brother Neville. He interested himself in municipal work and was a member of the central road board. In 1855 he was elected for Yatala in the old legislative council and assisted in framing the new constitution. Early in 1857 he was elected as one of the representatives of Gumeracha in the first house of assembly, and in August became commissioner of public works in the John Baker ministry which, however, was defeated on 1 September. On 12 June 1858 he was given the same position in the Hanson ministry, which remained in power until May 1860. In October 1861 he became Treasurer of South Australia in the Waterhouse ministry which, however, was reconstructed nine days later, when Blyth dropped out. He came back to the ministry, however, as Treasurer in February 1862, and was selected as one of the three representatives of South Australia at the intercolonial conference held shortly afterwards.

He was a member of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society and its president from 1867 to 1868.

As premier

On 4 August 1864 Blyth, taking the positions of premier and commissioner of crown lands and immigration, formed his first ministry, but it was difficult to do useful work, much time being wasted in no-confidence motions. Blyth resigned on 22 March 1865, was Treasurer in the third ministry formed by Henry Ayers but was out of office again in little more than a month. In March 1866 he became Chief Secretary in James Boucaut's first ministry from March 1866 to May 1867. He was Treasurer again in the first John Hart ministry in September 1868, but this ministry was defeated three weeks later. He took the position of commissioner of crown lands and immigration in the second Hart ministry, which lasted from 30 May 1870 to 10 November 1871, when Blyth formed his second ministry, but resigned only ten weeks later.

Third time as premier

On 22 July 1873 he again became premier and this time took the portfolio of Chief Secretary of South Australia. This ministry was a comparatively stable one and lasted until June 1875. It succeeded in doing something for immigration, and after a stern fight passed a free, secular, and compulsory education bill through the assembly. This was defeated in the council. It succeeded, however, in passing an act incorporating the University of Adelaide. From 10 February 1875 to 21 February 1877 he represented North Adelaide.^[2]

Later years

Arthur Blyth, c. 1865

On 25 March 1876 Blyth became Treasurer in the third Boucaut ministry which resigned less than three months later.

In February 1877 he was appointed agent-general for South Australia in London and held the position capably for many years. He was a councillor of the Oxford Military College in Cowley and Oxford Oxfordshire from 1876–1896. He was one of the representatives of South Australia at the 1887 colonial conference. He died in Bournemouth, England on 7 December 1891.^[4]

Family

Arthur's younger brother Neville Blyth also had a significant political career, being first elected to the House of Assembly for the seat of East Torrens in 1860.

Arthur Blyth married Jessie Ann Forrest (1827 – 21 December 1891), a daughter of Edward Forrest of Birmingham, on 5 March 1850

• Emily Grant Blyth ( – 31 December 1926) married Robert Grant Murray R.N.R. on 23 August 1893
• (John) James Neville Blyth (20 November 1850 – ) married Elizabeth Emma Hawker (daughter of James Collins Hawker and granddaughter of Thomas Lipson) on 11 June 1873. In 1885 he was jailed for a year for passing valueless cheques.^[5] The couple divorced in 1908.
• Frances Eleanor Blyth (9 February 1855 – ) married Wiliam Briggs Sells on 16 January 1877

Recognition

The township of Blyth in the Mid North of South Australia, is named in his honour.

The Blyth River in the Northern Territory was named after him by Francis Cadell in 1867.^[6]

Notes

1. Bowes, Keith R. "Blyth, Sir Arthur (1823–1891)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
2. Template:Cite SA-parlpid=4200
3. The Late Mr. Neville Blyth South Australian Register Monday 17 February 1890 p5 accessed 16 November 2011
4. "The liberty of Westover". A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (1912). Victoria County History. 1912. pp. 133–37. Retrieved 2007-04-23. notable persons who have died here are... Sir Arthur Blyth, premier of South Australia, in 1891
5. "Intercolonial Telegrams". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 28 February 1885. p. 9. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
6. "Place Names Register Extract – Blyth River". NT Place Names Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 2 May 2015.

References

• Serle, Percival (1949). "Blyth, Arthur". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
•  Harris, Charles Alexander (1901). "Blyth, Arthur". In Sidney Lee. Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement​. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Further reading

• Mennell, Philip (1892). " Blyth, Hon. Sir Arthur". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co. Wikisource