Edward Vardon

Edward Charles Vardon (10 November 1866 – 23 February 1937) was an Australian businessman and politician. He served briefly as a Senator for South Australia (1921–1922) and was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly (1918–1921, 1924–1930) before and after his service in federal parliament.

Early life

Vardon was born on 10 November 1866 in Hindmarsh, South Australia. He was one of five children born to Mary Ann (née Pickering) and Joseph Vardon, a printer. He was educated at North Adelaide Grammar School, leaving to work in his father's business and eventually becoming a director of Vardon and Sons. His father was active in public affairs and held elective office at all three levels of government.

Outside of the family business, Vardon also served as chairman of Mile End Cold Stores, the Adelaide Fruit and Produce Exchange Company, and the East End Markets on East Terrace. He was president of the South Australian Chamber of Manufactures from 1910 to 1912.

State politics Vardon was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly at the 1918 state election, standing as a Liberal on a joint ticket with two Nationalists. He stood on a platform which included opposition to tax increases, reducing the number of state MPs, introducing proportional representation, greater education spending, and the introduction of scripture classes in state schools.

In parliament, Vardon's areas of interest included "federal and state taxation systems, industrial law and the minutiae of government expenditure".

Federal politics

On 18 February 1921, Vardon was appointed to the Senate to fill a casual vacancy caused by the death of Robert Guthrie. His term expired on 4 August due to the Parliament of South Australia's failure to confirm his appointment, but this was rectified five days later.

According to his biographer Ann Millar, Vardon's speeches in the Senate put forward "the considered views of a thoughtful backbencher committed to government accountability, even when the government was controlled by his own party". Vardon continued his support of proportional representation and also supported parliamentary representation for the Northern Territory. He was an economic protectionist and supported reduced government spending, seeking to reduce the size of the Commonwealth Public Service and describing the construction of Canberra as "unnecessary". Unlike at the previous two elections, the Liberal Union and National Party were unable to come to an arrangement for a joint ticket, with the former standing as "true blue" Liberals opposed to Prime Minister Billy Hughes. He and the rest of the ticket were defeated.

Return to state politics and later life In 1923, Vardon was appointed to the Apprenctices' Advisory Board as the representative of the Chamber of Manufactures. He was re-elected to the House of Assembly at the 1924 state election,

Vardon was defeated at the 1930 election,

Personal life Vardon married Ellen Peel in 1888, with whom he had a son and a daughter. He died at his home in Unley Park on 23 February 1937, aged 70, having been ill since August 1936 and suffered bouts of ill health since 1928.