Vaiben Solomon
Encyclopedia
Vaiben Louis Solomon was the 21st Premier of South Australia and a member of the first Australian Commonwealth parliament
.
Solomon was born in Adelaide
, South Australia
, the son of Judah Moss Solomon, a member of the South Australian Legislative Council
and Lord Mayor of Adelaide from 1869 to 1870. After an education at Scotch College
, Melbourne
, the Jewish Solomon wished to marry Mary Wigzell, a gentile
, but his father so opposed the marriage that Solomon left for the Northern Territory
in 1873. There he became editor of the Northern Territory Times as well as holding successful mining and mercantile holdings. He mixed these interests in his 1894 book Guide to Western Australia and its goldfields. Additionally, on 6 December 1880, three months after his father's death, Solomon married Wigzell, now a widow with a young son. He became a prominent figure in the Northern Territory and gained the nickname "Black Solomon", derived from the time, on a dare, he painted himself black and walked naked through the streets of Palmerston (now known as Darwin
).
Solomon was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly
in April 1890 as an inaugural member for the Electoral district of Northern Territory
(then part of South Australia) on the back of a campaign advocating a White Australia policy
. He served as Government Whip before becoming Leader of the Opposition in 1899, when he had the Charles Kingston
government dissolve over Kingston’s proposal to extend suffrage to all householders and their wives. Solomon then became Premier and Treasurer of South Australia for one week, 1 December to 8 December 1899, before further machinations led to new Opposition Leader Frederick Holder
gaining the Premiership.
Solomon was a member of the Australian Federation Convention in 1897 and the Convention that framed the Australian Constitution in 1897-98, before his election to the inaugural Australian federal Parliament in 1901 as a Free Trade
Member for South Australia. Solomon unsuccessfully stood for the Division of Boothby
at the 1903 election before returning to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1905 as the Member for the Northern Territory. By the time of his death to cancer, Solomon was Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Twice married, Solomon holds the dual distinctions of being South Australia’s sole Jewish and shortest serving Premier. The electorate of Solomon
in the Northern Territory is named after him. His daughter Esther was the first woman elected to the Adelaide City Council and served two terms as Deputy Mayor.
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
.
Solomon was born in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, the son of Judah Moss Solomon, a member of the South Australian Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
and Lord Mayor of Adelaide from 1869 to 1870. After an education at Scotch College
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, the Jewish Solomon wished to marry Mary Wigzell, a gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
, but his father so opposed the marriage that Solomon left for the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
in 1873. There he became editor of the Northern Territory Times as well as holding successful mining and mercantile holdings. He mixed these interests in his 1894 book Guide to Western Australia and its goldfields. Additionally, on 6 December 1880, three months after his father's death, Solomon married Wigzell, now a widow with a young son. He became a prominent figure in the Northern Territory and gained the nickname "Black Solomon", derived from the time, on a dare, he painted himself black and walked naked through the streets of Palmerston (now known as Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
).
Solomon was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
in April 1890 as an inaugural member for the Electoral district of Northern Territory
Electoral district of Northern Territory
The Electoral district of Northern Territory was an electoral district of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1890 to 1911. The electorate encompassed all of what is the Northern Territory when the Territory was included as part of South Australia for political purposes.The district...
(then part of South Australia) on the back of a campaign advocating a White Australia policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
. He served as Government Whip before becoming Leader of the Opposition in 1899, when he had the Charles Kingston
Charles Kingston
Charles Cameron Kingston, Australian politician, was an early liberal Premier of South Australia serving from 1893 to 1899 with the support of Labor led by John McPherson from 1893 and Lee Batchelor from 1897 in the House of Assembly, winning the 1893, 1896, and 1899 state elections against the...
government dissolve over Kingston’s proposal to extend suffrage to all householders and their wives. Solomon then became Premier and Treasurer of South Australia for one week, 1 December to 8 December 1899, before further machinations led to new Opposition Leader Frederick Holder
Frederick Holder
Sir Frederick William Holder KCMG was the 19th Premier of South Australia and a prominent member of the inaugural Australian Commonwealth Parliament, including the first Speaker of the House of Representatives.-Life:...
gaining the Premiership.
Solomon was a member of the Australian Federation Convention in 1897 and the Convention that framed the Australian Constitution in 1897-98, before his election to the inaugural Australian federal Parliament in 1901 as a Free Trade
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
Member for South Australia. Solomon unsuccessfully stood for the Division of Boothby
Division of Boothby
The Division of Boothby is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. The division was created in 1903 and is named after William Boothby , the Returning Officer for the first election of Members of the House of Representatives in 1901....
at the 1903 election before returning to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1905 as the Member for the Northern Territory. By the time of his death to cancer, Solomon was Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Twice married, Solomon holds the dual distinctions of being South Australia’s sole Jewish and shortest serving Premier. The electorate of Solomon
Division of Solomon
The Division of Solomon is an Australian Electoral Division in the Northern Territory. It covers the cities of Darwin and Palmerston...
in the Northern Territory is named after him. His daughter Esther was the first woman elected to the Adelaide City Council and served two terms as Deputy Mayor.