Benjamin Benny

Benjamin Benny (21 October 1869 – 10 February 1935) was an Australian politician.

Benjamin Benny
Senator for South Australia
In office
1 July 1920 – 26 January 1926
Succeeded byAlexander McLachlan
Personal details
Born(1869-10-21)21 October 1869
Aldinga, South Australia
Died10 February 1935(1935-02-10) (aged 65)
Adelaide, South Australia
NationalityAustralian
Political partyNationalist
Spouse(s)Susan Grace Benny
ParentsGeorge Benny (1829–1881) and Susanna nee Anderson (1844–1906)
ProfessionSolicitor

History

Born in Aldinga, South Australia, he was educated at state schools and then the University of Adelaide, becoming a solicitor. He was Vice-President of the South Australian Law Society, and served as mayor of Brighton Council. In 1919, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Nationalist Senator for South Australia. He did not recontest in 1925 and although his term was due to finish on 30 June 1926 he resigned from parliament on 26 January 1926 due to ill health, and was replaced by Alexander McLachlan. In June 1926 Benny was convicted of fraudulent conversion of trust funds[1] and sentenced to three years' gaol, and declared insolvent.

He married his cousin Susan Grace Anderson, known as Grace Benny. After his imprisonment, she opened an employment agency to support her family, prior to this she had never worked for a living.[2] She had in 1919 made history as the first woman to be elected to local government (the Seacliff ward of the Brighton Council) in Australia.[3]

Benny died in 1935.[4]

References
  1. "Ex-Senator Benny Guilty". The Register. Adelaide. 11 June 1926. p. 11. Retrieved 30 May 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. Suzanne Edgar, 'Benny, Susan Grace (1872–1944)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 30 May 2014
  3. "Every Woman". The Journal (Adelaide). LIV (15099). South Australia. 13 December 1919. p. 16. Retrieved 25 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 23 November 2008.


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