Ernest Buttenshaw

Who was Ernest Buttenshaw?

Ernest Albert Buttenshaw was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1917 until 1932. He was a member of the Nationalist Party of Australia until 1920, when he helped to establish the Progressive Party. After 1925 he was a member of its successor, the Country Party. He was the party leader between 1925 and 1932 and held a number of government ministries.

Buttenshaw was born in Young, New South Wales. His father, was a blacksmith and he was educated to elementary level at Young Superior School. He initially worked as a delivery boy for the Post Office and later became a farmer. He was active in farmer's political groups and was the Shire President of Bland Shire in 1914-1918.

Buttenshaw was elected as the Nationalist member for Lachlan at the 1917 NSW state election. With the introduction of proportional representation in multi-member seats he became the member for Murrumbidgee between 1920 and 1927. When single member electorates were restored in 1927, he again became the member for Lachlan until his retirement in 1938.