Austin Chapman

Sir Austin Chapman KCMG (10 July 1864 - 12 January 1926), Australian politician, was a member of several early federal ministries. He was born in Bong Bong near Bowral, New South Wales and educated at Marulan Public School and was apprenticed as a saddler at an early age. In about 1884 he went into business as a publican, storekeeper and auctioneer in Queanbeyan, and later became an investor and company director. cite web
first=H. J.
last=Gibbney
title =Chapman, Sir Austin (1864 - 1926)
publisher =Australian National University
work=Australian Dictionary of Biography
url =http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070619b.htm
accessdate = 2007-03-26]

Political career

In 1894 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as MLA for Braidwood.cite web
title =Sir Austin Chapman (1864 - 1956)
work =Members of Parliament
publisher =Parliament of New South Wales
url =http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/1fb6ebed995667c2ca256ea100825164/732f19b57463631eca256cbd0011172a!OpenDocument
accessdate = 2007-03-26] Like most politicians from the southern border regions of New South Wales, he was an active supporter of federation of the Australian colonies.

In 1901 Chapman was elected to the first House of Representatives as MP for the Division of Eden-Monaro. A Protectionist, he was Minister for Defence in the first ministry of Alfred Deakin (1903-05), Postmaster-General in the second Deakin ministry (1905-08), and Minister for Trade and Customs from 1907-08. After a long period on the backbench as a result of a stroke in 1909, which paralysed one of his arms, he was appointed Minister for Trade and Customs and Minister for Health in the Bruce government in February 1923. He was criticised by both Nationalists and the Country Party and he resigned in May 1924 on the grounds of ill health and was subsequently made a KCMG.

Chapman's most important contribution was his influence on the choice of the site of Australia's national capital, Canberra. He lobbied hard for the site on the Molonglo River near Queanbeyan, in his electorate. The success of his lobbying benefited many of his friends who owned land in the area, and also greatly boosted trade in Queanbeyan, the nearest town to the site. He was still MP for Eden-Monaro at the time of his death in Sydney of cerebro-vascular disease. He was survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons, James Austin Chapman and John Austin Chapman who both became distinguished soldiers. [cite web
first=Roger C.
last=Thompson
title =Chapman, John Austin (1896 - 1963)
publisher =Australian National University
work=Australian Dictionary of Biography
url =http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130448b.htm
accessdate = 2007-03-26] The Canberra suburb of Chapman was named after him.

Notes

Persondata
NAME=Chapman, Austin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH=10 July 1864
PLACE OF BIRTH= Bong Bong near Bowral, New South Wales
DATE OF DEATH=12 January 1926
PLACE OF DEATH=Sydney