Oswald Snowball

(Redirected from O. R. Snowball)

Oswald Robinson Snowball (18 July 1859 – 16 March 1928) was an English-born Australian politician.

Oswald Snowball
14th Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
In office
6 July 1927 – 16 March 1928
Preceded bySir John Bowser
Succeeded bySir Alexander Peacock
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Brighton
In office
8 October 1909 – 16 March 1928
Preceded bySir Thomas Bent
Succeeded byIan Macfarlan
Personal details
Born
Oswald Robinson Snowball

(1859-07-18)18 July 1859
Wolsingham, County Durham, England, United Kingdom
Died16 March 1928(1928-03-16) (aged 68)
East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Resting placeBrighton Cemetery
Political partyNationalist
Other political
affiliations
Commonwealth Liberal Party
SpouseEllen Grace Anketell
ResidenceBrighton, Victoria
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
ProfessionSolicitor

Snowball was born in Wolsingham, England, and arrived in Australia in 1868 where his family spent three years on the land. He studied at Carlton College and the University of Melbourne where he qualified as a solicitor and was admitted to practice in 1883. He was a partner in the firms Briggs & Snowball and later Snowball & Kaufmann.[1]

Snowball was elected to the Victorian parliament representing the Commonwealth Liberal Party in the seat of Brighton in a by-election on 8 October 1909. He was a prominent advocate of divorce law reform, in which he was supported by Rev. William Bottomley and the Melbourne Unitarian Church.[2] He served on various royal commissions, until he was voted Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly at the commencement of the 29th Parliament on 6 July 1927. Snowball died in office on 16 March the next year.[1]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Snowball, Oswald Robinson, Parliament of Victoria.
  2. ^ Dorothy Scott (1980). The Halfway House to Infidelity. Unitarian Fellowship of Australia. p. 62. ISBN 0-95944601-X. "Infidelity" here refers to anti-Christians ("infidels"), rather than to those who break marriage vows.
Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Brighton
1909–1928
Succeeded by
Preceded by Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
1927–1928
Succeeded by