Louis von Doussa

Charles Louis von Doussa (better known as Louis von Doussa; 17 May 1850 27 May 1932) was an Australian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Mount Barker from 1889 to 1902 and a member of the South Australian Legislative Council for the Southern District from 1903 to 1905. He was Attorney-General of South Australia and Minister for Education in the Jenkins government from 1903 to 1904.

Louis von Doussa
Member of South Australian House of Assembly for Mount Barker
In office
1889 (1889)  1902 (1902)
Serving with Charles Dumas
Preceded byAlbert Henry Landseer
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Member of South Australian Legislative Council for the Southern District
In office
1903 (1903)  1905 (1905)
Preceded byJohn Hannah Gordon
Succeeded byJohn Downer
Attorney-General of South Australia
In office
2 December 1903 (1903-12-02)  4 July 1904 (1904-07-04)
PremierJohn Jenkins
Preceded byJohn Hannah Gordon
Succeeded byRobert Homburg
Minister for Education
In office
2 December 1903 (1903-12-02)  4 July 1904 (1904-07-04)
PremierJohn Jenkins
Preceded byJohn Hannah Gordon
Succeeded byRobert Homburg
Personal details
Born
Charles Louis von Doussa

(1850-05-17)17 May 1850
Hahndorf
Died27 May 1932(1932-05-27) (aged 82)
Resting placeMount Barker
Spouse(s)
    Agnes Bowman
    (m. 1874; died 1886)
      Ruby Louisa Farrar, née Smythe
      (m. 1905; died 1920)
      Relations
      MotherAnna Dorothea von Doussa, née Schach
      FatherAlfred von Doussa
      Occupationlawyer

      History

      Von Doussa was born in Hahndorf the second son of Emil Louis Alfred von Doussa (ca.1809 – 17 December 1882), an officer of the Prussian army, who emigrated to South Australia in 1846 with his wife Anna Dorothea von Doussa, née Schach.[1] (ca.1811 – 17 March 1881) He was educated at Hahndorf College and afterwards tutored privately by George R. Irvine, formerly a master at St. Peter's College. On 11 June 1866 he was articled to J. J. Bonnar of Strathalbyn, and admitted to the bar in 1871. He began practice at Mount Barker in 1872.[2]

      Politics

      Von Doussa represented the House of Assembly electoral district of Mount Barker from 1899 to 1902, then was defeated by a narrow majority when the Mount Barker, Noarlunga and Encounter Bay districts were merged into the electoral district of Alexandra. In December 1903 he was elected unopposed to the seat in the Legislative Council vacated when John Hannah Gordon was elevated to the bench of the Supreme Court of South Australia. He was appointed Attorney-General of South Australia and Minister of Education in the Jenkins Ministry, but relinquished both in 1904 when his health suffered. He retired from politics in 1905.

      Law

      In his 60 years as a lawyer, Von Doussa practised in the High Court, and in every jurisdiction of the Supreme and lower courts of the State. T. S. O'Halloran KC., William Edward Pyne,[3] and S. B. von Doussa served their articles with him. He was appointed a Special Magistrate in 1927.[2]

      Other interests

      He followed cricket avidly, and watched every Test Match played in Adelaide. In his older years, Lawn Bowls was his chief sporting activity. He was president, then Patron, of the Mount Barker Bowling Club, and represented South Australia in Interstate matches. He was Patron of the Mount Barker Agricultural Society and Cricket Club. He was lay reader and churchwarden at the (Anglican) Christ Church, Mount Barker, and Church advocate in the Diocese of Adelaide from 1895 to 1916. He was a foundation member of the Mount Barker Institute. He was a close friend of Sir Lancelot Stirling.

      Family

      Alfred von Doussa (ca.1848 – 1 August 1926), businessman and politician, was a brother.

      Louis von Doussa married Agnes Bowman (ca.1852 – 26 November 1886), daughter of William Bowman, on 16 April 1874; they had seven children, of which only four survived childhood. Agnes did not survive the eighth delivery. He married again on 17 March 1905, to Ruby Louisa Farrar, née Smythe (died 24 January 1920).

      • Francis Alfred "Frank" von Doussa (5 February 1875 – 31 October 1928) was manager of the Strathalbyn branch of Elder, Smith & Co
      • Stanley Bowman von Doussa (12 September 1877 – 13 November 1952) was a solicitor in Mannum for many years.
      • Ethel May von Doussa (10 January 1879 – )
      • Olive von Doussa (31 October 1882 – )

      His grandson William Louis von Doussa also qualified as a lawyer.

      References

      1. Wray Vamplew, 'Von Doussa, Heinrich Albert Alfred (1848–1926)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/von-doussa-heinrich-albert-alfred-8931/text15691, published in hardcopy 1990, accessed online 26 October 2014.
      2. "Oldest Practising Lawyer". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 28 May 1932. p. 19. Retrieved 27 October 2014 via National Library of Australia.
      3. "Law Clerk's Articles". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 13 April 1915. p. 11. Retrieved 27 October 2014 via National Library of Australia.
      This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.