Edward Miles
Encyclopedia
Edward Thomas Miles (1849–1944) was born in Hobart Town
, Van Diemen's Land
(Tasmania
) and during his lifetime served as a merchant seaman, a Free Trade Party
Member of the Tasmanian Parliament
and Minister and as an entrepreneur. Miles is the grandfather of John Miles
, Liberal Party of Australia
Member of the Legislative Council of Victoria for Templestowe Province
from 1985-92.
Miles worked on ships trading with India, China and South Africa, and after 1879 commanded a series of ships trading the Tasmanian East Coast. He was elected to the Tasmanian lower house of Parliament, the House of Assembly
, in December 1893 for the Electoral district of Glamorgan
and held that electorate until 1899. In 1900 he successfully contested the Electoral district of Hobart
, but resigned after a matter of weeks to pursue business interests. Miles served briefly as Minister for Lands and Works in the Braddon
government between May and October in 1899.
After Parliament Miles engaged in a number of business activities, perhaps the most significant of which was the establishment of tin mining in Siam (Thailand
). A monument to Miles was unveiled at Phuket, Thailand, in 1969. He retired to Ringwood, Victoria, in 1909 and survived another 35 years.
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...
, Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
(Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
) and during his lifetime served as a merchant seaman, a Free Trade Party
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 of the Tasmanian Parliament
Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, 1897–1900
This is a list of members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly between the 20 January 1897 election and the 9 March 1900 election.Party affiliations were relatively loose during the period, although a Liberal grouping had formed over the 1890s around Sir Edward Braddon, the Premier of Tasmania until...
and Minister and as an entrepreneur. Miles is the grandfather of John Miles
John Miles (Australian politician)
John Gould Miles was an Australian politician and member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Templestowe Province representing the Liberal Party of Australia from April 1985 until his retirement in August 1992...
, Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
Member of the Legislative Council of Victoria for Templestowe Province
Templestowe Province
Templestowe Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council. It existed as a two-member electorate from 1967 to 2006, with members serving alternating eight-year terms. It was traditionally held by the Liberal Party of Australia, but was held by the Australian Labor Party on two...
from 1985-92.
Miles worked on ships trading with India, China and South Africa, and after 1879 commanded a series of ships trading the Tasmanian East Coast. He was elected to the Tasmanian lower house of Parliament, the 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...
, in December 1893 for the Electoral district of Glamorgan
Electoral district of Glamorgan
The Electoral district of Glamorgan was a single-member electoral district of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. It was based around the town of Swansea in eastern Tasmania, and included Bicheno, Little Swanport and the Freycinet Peninsula...
and held that electorate until 1899. In 1900 he successfully contested the Electoral district of Hobart
Electoral district of Hobart
The Electoral district of Hobart was a multi-member electoral district of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. It was based in Tasmania's capital city, Hobart....
, but resigned after a matter of weeks to pursue business interests. Miles served briefly as Minister for Lands and Works in the Braddon
Edward Braddon
Sir Edward Nicholas Coventry Braddon, KCMG , Australian politician, was the Premier of Tasmania from 1894 to 1899, and was a Member of the First Australian Parliament in the House of Representatives...
government between May and October in 1899.
After Parliament Miles engaged in a number of business activities, perhaps the most significant of which was the establishment of tin mining in Siam (Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
). A monument to Miles was unveiled at Phuket, Thailand, in 1969. He retired to Ringwood, Victoria, in 1909 and survived another 35 years.