118:(1920–1922), Minister of Education and Afforestation (1933–1938), Minister of Mines (1933–1939), and Minister of Health (1935–1939) He was Commissioner of Public Works in 1914 and 1919. He was Chief Secretary from 1933 to 1939, a post he relinquished after an accident. He never attained the highest office in the State, although he saw 12 premiers come and go during his parliamentary career. On the few occasions he acted as Premier, Ritchie handled the responsibility with thoroughness and care, tempered with a kindly manner, and at times whimsical humour.
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in 1864, was educated at the Echuca
Grammar School, and after four years' apprenticeship with a draper, joined his father on the river. In 1884, two years after his father's death, he entered into partnership with his two brothers as a steamboat owner on the Murray. Their first ship was the
95:. He bought his brothers out a few years later, and in the course of his 40 years of active trading on the river, he owned about a dozen boats. When the districts of Encounter Bay, Mount Barker and Noarlunga were amalgamated to form the district of
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Ritchie was the third son of
Captain James Ritchie (1832 – 23 April 1881) and his wife Alison (12 August 1829 – 20 February 1913). Captain James Ritchie, and five others left Scotland for Australia in the early 1850s sailing the
114:, serving from 1924 to 1944. In 1914 he was appointed Minister for Water Supply, serving until 1917. His subsequent appointments were Minister of Agriculture (1917, 1919), Minister of Railways (1919–1920),
181:, which had lain derelict on a Port Pirie beach for five years. Two other brothers, James and John, were riverboat captains. His sister Margaret Annie "Maggie" Ritchie married Thomas Goode, eldest son of
25:(14 December 1864 – 7 August 1944) was a South Australian politician. During his parliamentary career he held every ministerial position and was a minister in both Houses, a feat rarely equalled.
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Reprinted from Royal
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Ritchie's brother, David J. Ritchie, of Goolwa, married Violet
Mayfield on 16 April 1903. In 1922 he purchased the historic paddle steamer
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seat in the
Federal Parliament. He was defeated, and in 1924 re-entered State Parliament as a member for the Northern District in the
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He was deputy chairman of the State
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He became an alderman of the
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He was three years as Mayor of Goolwa prior to entering parliament, and was an active worker for institutes.
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He was owner and skipper of several River Murray steamboats, including the short-lived excursion steamers
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He was active in the voluntary militia during the
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He collapsed and died while assisting the gardener at his home in
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Ritchie was knighted K.C.M.G. in June 1935 while Acting
Premier in the absence of
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He was a member for Alexandra from 1902 to 1922, when he resigned to contest the
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Lecture on the River Murray, past and present: the Mississippi of Australia
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This article has much additional material on James and Alison Ritchie.
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Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
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In 1899 Ritchie married Charlotte Knapman, daughter of
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He was for some years Chief of the Caledonian Society.
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Members of the South Australian Legislative Council
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82:and Cadell. One of his feats was to captain the
53:PS Pioneer and barges on River Murray ca. 1918
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78:, when his name was as familiar as those of
490:– via National Library of Australia.
462:– via National Library of Australia.
434:– via National Library of Australia.
406:– via National Library of Australia.
378:– via National Library of Australia.
322:– via National Library of Australia.
288:– via National Library of Australia.
260:– via National Library of Australia.
202:Bruce Ritchie, of "Coolibah", Port Lincoln
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568:Alexandrina local history: James Ritchie
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370:. Adelaide. 9 August 1939. p. 23
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398:. Adelaide. 17 July 1906. p. 10
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618:People from Goolwa, South Australia
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210:. His remains were buried at the
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32:George Ritchie (politician) 1926
474:"Tribute to Sir George Ritchie"
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306:"Death of Sir George Ritchie"
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99:, Ritchie was elected to the
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390:"A Fine Surf Steamer"
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588:1944 deaths
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374:21 November
318:22 February
284:23 February
256:23 February
218:Recognition
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577:Categories
446:"Obituary"
230:References
214:cemetery.
536:John Bice
486:7 January
346:23 August
249:The Argus
208:Kent Town
97:Alexandra
458:7 August
430:7 August
402:28 March
84:Gundagai
136:Augusta
93:Pioneer
60:Lioness
37:History
179:Cadell
173:Family
88:Goolwa
140:Venus
108:Angas
488:2023
460:2013
432:2013
404:2014
376:2014
348:2022
320:2013
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23:KCMG
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
