ARGYLE, Sir Stanley Seymour (1867-1940)

premier of Victoria

son of Edward Argyle, was born at Kyneton, Victoria, on 4 December 1867. He was educated at Hawthorn and Brighton Grammar Schools and the university of Melbourne, where he graduated M.B., B.S. in 1891. He also studied in Great Britain and obtained the diplomas L.R.C.P. and M.R.C.S. He was in general practice at Kew, near Melbourne, for about 15 years from 1894, was elected to the Kew council, and was mayor in 1902. He then specialized in radiology and was the first radiologist to be appointed to the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. During the 1914-18 war he served in the Army Medical Corps of the A.I.F. in Egypt, Lemnos and France, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In 1920 he was elected to represent Toorak in the Victorian legislative assembly, and held the seat until his death.

Argyle quickly came into notice in parliament, in September 1923 was given the positions of chief secretary and minister for health in the second Lawson ministry, and held the same positions in the third Lawson and the Peacock (q.v.) ministry which succeeded it. When Allan (q.v.) became premier in November 1924, Argyle was again chief secretary and minister for health until May 1927. Early in 1927, with Professor R. J. A. Berry, he visited the United States to study hospital methods and to bring before the Rockefeller Foundation the project of establishing a hospital in conjunction with the medical school of the university of Melbourne. The ministry was defeated in May 1927, but when Macpherson (q.v.) formed his government in November 1928 Argyle resumed his old positions. As a result of his American investigations, the site on which the new Royal Melbourne Hospital was afterwards built, was reserved for this purpose. The government was defeated in December 1929, in 1930 Argyle succeeded Macpherson as leader of the Nationalist party, and on 19 May 1932 became premier, treasurer and minister of public health in a government which lasted nearly three years, a period of depression and difficulty. Argyle brought in the practice of work in lieu of sustenance, extended the Yarra boulevard, and endeavoured to co-ordinate the traffic systems of his state. In April 1935 the Country party withdrew its support from the government, and Argyle became leader of the opposition until his death on 23 November 1940. He married in January 1895 Violet, daughter of Thomas Lewis, who survived him with two sons and two daughters. He was created K.B.E. in 1930.

Argyle was a man of public spirit who abandoned an excellent specialist's practice to take up politics. He was an honest and industrious administrator, and though a vigorous fighter, was always a perfectly fair opponent.

The Argus, 1 January 1930, 25 November 1940; The Age, 25 November 1940; The Herald, 23 November 1940; Year Book of Australia 1924-1936.