Edgar Tanner

Sir Edgar Stephen Tanner, CBE (10 August 1904 - 21 November 1979) was an Australian sports administrator and Victorian politician. He was a former secretary-general and president of the Australian Olympic Federation.

Tanner was born on 10 August 1904 at Albany, Western Australia. He was the eldest of four children. He attended All Saints Grammar School, St Kilda and studied commerce at the University of Melbourne. He joined the advertising staff of the Herald and Weekly Times. On 11 June 1938, he married Edna May Ponsonby. He died on 21 November 1979 at North Caulfield and was survived by his wife Edna, daughter Ann and son Ted, a former member of the Victorian Parliament and boxing administrator.

In 1929, Tanner had been commissioned in the Militia. In November 1941, Tanner was appointed temporary captain in the 2nd Australian Imperial Force. He was a member of the Gull Force. In January 1942, he became prisoner of war after Gull Force was overpowered by the Japanese in Ambon. Whilst a prisoner of war at Hainan, he organised sports events including a running race between Australian and Dutch prisoners.

In May 1955, Tanner representing the Liberal and Country Party, won the seat of Ripponlea in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. After Tanner was elected a member of parliament, the media questioned his ability to concurrently serve in important Olympic positions including secretary of the Organising Committee of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics as well as a member of Parliament. When Ripponlea was abolished in 1967, he was elected to Caulfield which he held until in retirement in February 1976. Whilst in the parliament, he was chairman of several committees and deputy-speaker from 1970 to 1973. His son Ted was the member for Caulfield from 1979 to 1996.

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