21 Facts About Edward Braddon

Sir Edward Nicholas Coventry Braddon was an Australian politician who served as Premier of Tasmania from 1894 to 1899, and was a Member of the First Australian Parliament in the House of Representatives.

Edward Braddon was born in St Kew, Cornwall in 1829, the son of unsuccessful solicitor Henry Edward Braddon and his wife Fanny White.

Edward Braddon had two sisters, one of whom, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, was later a famous novelist.

Edward Braddon was educated at various private schools including University College School, and later at University College London.

Henry and Fanny separated in 1840, due to Henry's financial failures, and in 1847, Edward Braddon left for India to take a job with his cousin's merchant business.

Edward Braddon later joined the Indian civil service, rising to the position of assistant commissioner, and serving as Inspector-General of Registration and Commissioner of Excise and Stamps.

Edward Braddon married Mary Georginia Palmer on 24 October 1857 in Calcutta, India.

Edward Braddon died aged 24 on 28 July 1864 at Simla, Bengal, India.

One of these sons was Sir Henry Yule Edward Braddon, who was a rugby union player, representing New Zealand and New South Wales, and was later a Commissioner for Australia in the United States.

In 1872, Edward Braddon wrote a memoir detailing his experiences in India, entitled Life in India.

Edward Braddon left the Indian civil service in 1878 and retired to Tasmania.

In 1879, Edward Braddon was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the Division of West Devon, and he represented that constituency until November 1888.

Edward Braddon became leader of the opposition in 1886 and after the defeat of the James Agnew government, he was asked to form a cabinet.

In 1888, Edward Braddon represented Tasmania on the Federal Council, the predecessor to the Constitutional Conventions of the 1890s.

In 1895, Edward Braddon published another volume of memoirs, entitled Thirty Years of Shikar.

Edward Braddon was elected as one of the Tasmanian representatives to the Constitutional Convention of 1897.

The Edward Braddon Clause provided that the Commonwealth would have to return at least three-quarters of all duties collected.

At the federal election of 1901, Edward Braddon was elected to the first Australian Parliament as one of the five members for Tasmania, which had not yet been divided into electoral divisions.

Edward Braddon was not only the oldest member of the House of Representatives, but, at almost 72 years of age, he is still the oldest person ever elected to the House of Representatives.

Edward Braddon was re-elected at the federal election of 1903, as the first member of the Division of Wilmot, but he died suddenly at his home in Tasmania in 1904 before the parliament returned from recess.

In 1891 Edward Braddon was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.