Maurice Collins (politician)

This article is about the Australian politician. For the American basketball player Maurice "Mardy" Collins, see Mardy Collins.

Maurice Collins
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Wakefield
In office
17 November 1928 – 12 October 1929
Preceded byRichard Foster
Succeeded byCharles Hawker
Personal details
Born1878
Mount Bryan, South Australia
Died9 August 1945 (aged 66–67)
Political partyAustralian Country Party
OccupationGrazier

Maurice Collins (1878 – 9 August 1945) was an Australian politician. He was a Country Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1928 to 1929, representing the electorate of Wakefield. He was reported to be "one of the best known personalities in the pastoral industry" in South Australia.[1]

Collins was born at Mount Bryan, the seventh son of pastoralist Henry Collins.[2] He was a partner in his father's firm, Henry Collins and Co., then took over one of the company's properties, Mallett, near Terowie, for himself. He was a District Council of Terowie councillor for eleven years. In 1919, he moved to Burra, and subsequently served as mayor of the Corporate Town of Burra from 1922 to 1928. He was also involved in Burra community organisations, serving as president of the Burra Bowling Club and as a member of the Burra Hospital Board.[1][3][4]

In 1928, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Country Party member for Wakefield, defeating long-serving Nationalist MP Richard Foster. However, he was defeated in the election of the following year by the Nationalist candidate Charles Hawker.[5]

In 1932 he relocated to Adelaide and became a writer on agricultural topics, living "more or less in retirement". Collins died in 1945 after a "considerable time" of ill health.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "NOTED PASTORALIST DEAD". The Chronicle. Vol. 88, no. 4, 991. South Australia. 16 August 1945. p. 26. Retrieved 24 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "OBITUARY". Burra Record. Vol. 50, no. 42. South Australia. 23 October 1929. p. 3. Retrieved 11 November 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "OTHER DISTRICTS". Kapunda Herald. Vol. LXIV, no. 4, 498. South Australia. 23 November 1928. p. 2. Retrieved 24 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Sixtieth Annual Ratepayers' Meeting". Burra Record. Vol. 57, no. 26. South Australia. 30 June 1936. p. 1. Retrieved 4 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 9 November 2008.