Keith Dodgshun

Keith Dodgshun (31 July 1893 – 12 May 1971) was a politician in Victoria, Australia. He was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for just under 17 years, representing the electorates of Ouyen and Rainbow for the Country Party from 1938 to 1955.

Keith Dodgshun
14th Deputy Premier of Victoria
In office
27 June 1950  28 October 1952
PremierJohn McDonald
Preceded byTrevor Oldham
Succeeded byAlexander Dennett
In office
31 October 1952  17 December 1952
Preceded byAlexander Dennett
Succeeded byBill Galvin
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Ouyen
In office
5 May 1938  3 October 1945
Preceded byAlbert Bussau
Succeeded byDistrict abolished
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Rainbow
In office
10 November 1945  22 April 1955
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byDistrict abolished
Personal details
Born(1893-07-31)31 July 1893
Hawthorn, Victoria
Died12 May 1971(1971-05-12) (aged 77)
Hopetoun, Victoria, Australia
Political partyCountry Party
Spouse
Dorothy Lilian Gulliver
(m. 1925)
OccupationWheat farmer
Military service
AllegianceAustralia
Branch/serviceAustralian Imperial Force
Years of service1917–1919
RankGunner
Unit1st Field Artillery Brigade
Battles/warsWorld War I

Early life

Dodgshun was born in the inner Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn to warehouse manager Frederick William Dodgshun and his English wife Rosa May Russell. He was educated at Camberwell Grammar School and the Burnley Agricultural College. He managed his family's property at Mount Egerton for several years before enlisting in the army.[1]

Military service

Dodgshun enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 7 November 1917,[2] He was assigned to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade and stationed in France and Belgium during World War I.[1] He was discharged from the army on 31 March 1919.[2]

On his return to Australia, Dodgshun settled in Hopetoun where he worked in the soldier settlement scheme.[1]

Political career

In 1922, Dodgshun joined the Country Party and became president of the party's Hopetoun branch. From 1933 to 1938, he was a local councillor in the Shire of Karkarooc, until he nominated for election to the lower house of the Victorian state parliament.[1][3]

Dodgshun was elected unopposed to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the only candidate to nominate for the vacancy in Ouyen caused by the departure of Albert Bussau who had resigned to become Victoria's Agent-General in London, so the by-election scheduled for 5 May 1938 was not held.[4]

Dodgshun was first made a minister when he was made Chief Secretary in Thomas Hollway's first ministry, until the coalition between the Liberal and Country parties was dissolved after a dispute between Hollway and Country leader John McDonald.[5]

On 27 June 1950, with the support of the Labor Party, McDonald overthrew Hollway's government and was appointed Premier of Victoria. Dodgshun was made Deputy Premier, Chief Secretary, Minister-in-Charge of Electrical Undertakings and Minister-in-Charge of Immigration. Hollway briefly regained power from 28 to 31 October 1952 as an independent Premier, but his commission was withdrawn by the Governor of Victoria and Dodgshun regained his ministries in McDonald's cabinet, however McDonald was defeated by John Cain's Labor Party less than two months later at the 1952 Victorian state election.[5]

References

  1. Dodgshun, Keith, Re-member (Parliament of Victoria), 1985.
  2. Dodds to Dodman, World War I Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial.
  3. "Ouyen Seat". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 11 February 1938. p. 12. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  4. "ELECTED UNOPPOSED". The Recorder. Port Pirie, SA: National Library of Australia. 6 May 1938. p. 3. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  5. B. J. Costar, 'Dodgshun, Keith (1893–1971)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 13 March 2013.
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