Arthur Short (politician)

Arthur Short (18 June 1850 – 25 October 1933) was a politician in the British colony of South Australia.

Arthur was born in Salisbury, South Australia to Edwin and Ann Short, née Kerwin.

Edwin was a son of Captain William Short H.E.I.C.S., and may also have served in the East India Company, but had been chief officer on the Emma trading between Adelaide and Sydney. He married in Sydney in October 1842 and moved to South Australia the following January. They lived first in South Richmond, as did Edwin's father William, and in 1846 settled at Yankalilla, then around 1848 moved to "Courtwick Farm", Salisbury, where Arthur and his brother Albert excelled in athletics. In 1869 Edwin Short selected 1,000 acres (400 ha) near Maitland and the Cocoanut [sic] Station, Kulpara which the boys managed alone until 1873 when the rest of the family moved to "The Cocoanut".

Arthur was educated at a Grammar School. His father, always an aggressive man, around 1860 following a blow to the head, began displaying erratic behaviour. He believed he was being persecuted by the Rymill brothers, Sir Henry Ayers and his own lawyers Way & Symon. He became so violent that in 1876 his wife petitioned for him to be admitted to the Adelaide Lunatic Asylum. Edwin Short appealed against his confinement, and was able to produce witnesses as to his sanity, but evidence given by his family and neighbours was compelling. Arthur had taken over management of the properties, and in 1880 was licensed as an auctioneer.

When Maitland, Kilkerran, Moolywurtie, and Cunningham were formed into a district he was elected the first district clerk, later Maitland's first town clerk, and Mayor for a total of six years. He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Yorke Peninsula and served from April 1893 to April 1896, succeeding Henry Lamshed as associate of Harry Bartlett. He stood again, but was beaten by William Copley.

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