Lyndhurst Giblin
Encyclopedia
Professor Lyndhurst Falkiner Giblin DSO
MC
(29 November 1872 - 1 March 1951) was an Australia
n statistician
and economist
. He led a colourful life; he was an unsuccessful gold prospector
, played rugby union for England, and fought in the First World War.
, former Premier of Tasmania . He was educated at Hutchins School, in Hobart
, before going to England to study at University College, London and King's College, Cambridge
, graduating with Honours in mathematics in 1896. It was there that he played international rugby for England.
He travelled the world and unsuccessfully tried gold mining in northern British Columbia. He returned to Tasmania in 1906, taking up fruit growing and farming. Between 1913 and 1915 was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
. He joined the Australian Imperial Force
in 1916 and served in France during in the First World War, finishing with the rank of Major having been awarded the Distinguished Service Order
and the Military Cross
.
In 1918 Giblin married Eilean Mary Burton. Between 1919 and 1928 he was the Government Statistician of Tasmania. In 1929 he was made Ritchie Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne
and held that post until 1940, studying State and Federal financial relations, the concept of taxable capacity, and the measurement of tariff costs and their distribution. During the Depression of 1928-32, Giblin wrote a series of press articles entitled "Letters to John Smith, the causes of the crisis", in order to explain the situation to the general public. He was appointed as a financial advisor and given the office of Commonwealth Statistician in 1931 by the Commonwealth Government led by J.A. Lyons
.
He was a member of the Commonwealth Grants Commission, between 1922 and 1936, director of the Commonwealth Bank between 1935 and 1942, and chairman of the Commonwealth Financial and Economic Committee from 1939 until 1946.
King's College, Cambridge, of which he had been made a Supernumerary Fellow in 1937, established in his memory a Giblin studentship, open to an Australian graduate.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(29 November 1872 - 1 March 1951) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
and economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
. He led a colourful life; he was an unsuccessful gold prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
, played rugby union for England, and fought in the First World War.
Biography
Giblin was the son of William GiblinWilliam Giblin
William Robert Giblin was Premier of Tasmania from 5 March 1878 until 20 December 1878 and from 1879 until 1884.-Early life:...
, former Premier of Tasmania . He was educated at Hutchins School, in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, before going to England to study at University College, London and King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, graduating with Honours in mathematics in 1896. It was there that he played international rugby for England.
He travelled the world and unsuccessfully tried gold mining in northern British Columbia. He returned to Tasmania in 1906, taking up fruit growing and farming. Between 1913 and 1915 was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
Tasmanian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House...
. He joined the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
in 1916 and served in France during in the First World War, finishing with the rank of Major having been awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
.
In 1918 Giblin married Eilean Mary Burton. Between 1919 and 1928 he was the Government Statistician of Tasmania. In 1929 he was made Ritchie Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and held that post until 1940, studying State and Federal financial relations, the concept of taxable capacity, and the measurement of tariff costs and their distribution. During the Depression of 1928-32, Giblin wrote a series of press articles entitled "Letters to John Smith, the causes of the crisis", in order to explain the situation to the general public. He was appointed as a financial advisor and given the office of Commonwealth Statistician in 1931 by the Commonwealth Government led by J.A. Lyons
Joseph Lyons
Joseph Aloysius Lyons, CH was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of Tasmania from 1923 to 1928 and a Minister in the James Scullin government from 1929 until his resignation from the Labor Party in March 1931...
.
He was a member of the Commonwealth Grants Commission, between 1922 and 1936, director of the Commonwealth Bank between 1935 and 1942, and chairman of the Commonwealth Financial and Economic Committee from 1939 until 1946.
King's College, Cambridge, of which he had been made a Supernumerary Fellow in 1937, established in his memory a Giblin studentship, open to an Australian graduate.
External links
- http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms366
- http://cupid.ecom.unimelb.edu.au/het/giblin/bio.html
- http://www.nla.gov.au/ms/findaids/0366.html#bio
- http://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/G/LF%20Giblin.htm