Sydney Lane Gardner (9 June 1884 – 23 June 1965) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1922 to 1940, representing the seat of Robertson for the Nationalist Party of Australia (1922–1931) and United Australia Party (1931–1940).

Sydney Gardner
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Robertson
In office
16 December 1922 – 21 September 1940
Preceded byWilliam Fleming
Succeeded byEric Spooner
Personal details
Born(1884-06-09)9 June 1884
Aberdeen, New South Wales
Died23 June 1965(1965-06-23) (aged 81)
NationalityAustralian
Political partyNationalist (1922–31)
UAP (1931–40)
OccupationFarmer

Gardner was born at Rouchel, near Aberdeen in the Hunter Valley, and was educated at Scone Grammar School and the University of Sydney. He worked as a teacher at Melville, Davis Creek, Ferndale and Stoney Creek schools between 1903 and 1908, when he resigned from the Education Department and returned to farming at his family's property, "Rose Vale".[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] He unsuccessfully sought Liberal Reform Party preselection for a 1910 state by-election, but instead was appointed as organising secretary of the party's Upper Hunter Electorate Council.[8][9][10] Gardner was made a justice of the peace in 1913.[11] He unsuccessfully contested Nationalist Party of Australia preselection for the 1919 federal election, again taking on an organiser role.[12][13] He worked for the federal Department of Taxation for a period before passing his accountants' examination in 1921 and becoming an accountant at Singleton.[14] In public life, he was a member of both the Pastures Protection Board and the Public School Board.[15][16][17]

In 1922, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Nationalist member for Robertson, defeating William Fleming, deputy leader of the Country Party.[7] He increased his majority to 9,000 votes in his re-election in 1925.[18] In 1931, the Nationalist Party became the United Australia Party (UAP), which Gardner joined. In parliament, he was a member of the Joint Committee on Public Accounts and was Government Whip and secretary to the United Australia Party caucus.[15][19] He held Robertson until 1940, when he was defeated by rival UAP candidate and state UAP minister Eric Spooner after the party decided to endorse two candidates.[20] He returned to farming at Rose Vale after leaving politics. Gardner died in 1965.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Rouchel". The Scone Advocate. 23 October 1903. p. 3. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Rouchel". The Scone Advocate. 25 August 1905. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Rouchel". The Scone Advocate. 26 June 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Davis Creek". The Scone Advocate. 14 August 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "ROUCHEL". The Maitland Daily Mercury. Vol. 7128, no. 5674. 25 March 1912. p. 6. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Empire Day". The Scone Advocate. 30 May 1913. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ a b "MR. S. L. GARDNER". The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate. Vol. LXV, no. 4075. 6 September 1934. p. 14. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "GLEANINGS". Singleton Argus. 7 October 1909. p. 1. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "THE—Wuswellbrook Chronicle". The Muswellbrook Chronicle. Vol. 26, no. 83. 5 February 1910. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "—THE—Muswellbrook Chronicle". The Muswellbrook Chronicle. Vol. 27, no. 16. 4 June 1910. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "JUSTICES OF THE PEACE". The Maitland Daily Mercury. No. 13, 144. 1 May 1913. p. 5. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Upper Hunter Election". The Scone Advocate. 12 March 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "THE POLITICAL SITUATION". The Scone Advocate. 27 January 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "ACCOUNTANTS' EXAMINATIONS". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 25, 934. 17 February 1921. p. 6. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ a b "MR. S. L. GARDNER, M.P." The Gloucester Advocate. Vol. XXIV, no. 2142. 12 October 1928. p. 4. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ a b Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  17. ^ "UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 20, 601. 18 March 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "MR. S. L. GARDNER, M.P." The Muswellbrook Chronicle. Vol. 7, no. 82. 12 October 1928. p. 12. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "MR. S. L. GARDNER". Windsor and Richmond Gazette. Vol. 46, no. 2370. 31 August 1934. p. 10. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "The Muswellbrook Thronicle". The Muswellbrook Chronicle. Vol. 20, no. 68. 27 August 1940. p. 3. Retrieved 6 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Robertson
1922–1940
Succeeded by