George Fowler

Who was George Fowler?

George Swan Fowler was a South Australian politician and a Treasurer of South Australia.

Fowler was born in Kilrenny, Fife, Scotland, son of James Fowler, who kept a general store in Anstruther, and here George learned the fundamentals of business. His older brothers James and David emigrated to South Australia and had founded the highly successful grocery business of D. & J. Fowler in Rundle Street, Adelaide when in 1859 James died. George emigrated shortly after, arriving in Adelaide in July 1860 and was accepted as partner in the firm, which retained the name of D. & J. Fowler. By 1865 business had grown to such an extent that they decided to confine themselves to the wholesale trade and opened a branch office in London and a head office in King William Street, Adelaide, of which George had control. His brother David died in England on 11 November 1881 aged 55, leaving George as the senior partner.

Fowler was elected, with John Cox Bray, to the seat of East Adelaide in the South Australian House of Assembly on 2 April 1878, and was re-elected in April 1881 but resigned on 7 June 1881, the day he was sworn in, and was succeeded by Thomas Johnson. He served as treasurer from 10 March 1881 to 10 May 1881 in William Morgan's ministry. Moderate on most subjects, he was a staunch advocate of free trade, opposing protective duties and unbalanced electorates. He castigated the raising of government loans without close study of movements in the London money market. In 1884 he failed to win re-election because of his temperance views. He ran for election at the 1892 East Adelaide by-election but was defeated by John McPherson.