{{Short description|Australian politician (1822–1877)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Edward Cohen | honorific_suffix = | image = Edward Cohen - Illustrated Australian News (1869).jpg | caption = 1869 engraving | order = 18th Mayor of Melbourne | term_start = 1862 | term_end = 1863 | deputy = | predecessor = Robert Bennett | successor = John Thomas Smith | birth_date = 1822 | birth_place = London, United Kingdom | death_date = {{Death date|1877|4|13|df=yes}} | death_place = Melbourne, Australia | spouse = | party = }}

'''Edward Aaron Cohen''' (1822 – 13 April 1877) was an Australian merchant and a Victorian colonial politician. He served as Mayor of Melbourne from 1862 to 1863.<ref name=parl>{{cite re-member |num2=422 |name=Edward Cohen |access-date=27 August 2022}}</ref>

==Early life== Cohen was born in London, the son of Henry Cohen and Elizabeth Cohen (''née'' Simmons).<ref name=parl/> Cohen migrated from England to New South Wales in 1833. As a young man, he was employed by father in his firm H Cohen & Son. In 1842, Cohen moved to Melbourne and joined in a partnership with B. Francis in an auctioneering enterprise until 1853 where he went to Sydney and created a partnership with his brother and Alexander Fraser until 1864. In 1847, Cohen married Rebecca Benjamin and they had five sons and three daughters. In 1864, Cohen was a tea importer and merchant. Cohen was also director of various companies and worked with Benjamin Benjamin (who was his brother in law), Chairman Colonial Bank.<ref name=parl/><ref name=adb>{{Australian Dictionary of Biography |first=Geulah |last=Solomon |title=Cohen, Edward Aaron (1822–1877) |id2=cohen-edward-aaron-3241 |access-date=27 August 2022}}</ref>

==Political career== In August 1861, Cohen was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the seat of East Melbourne.<ref name=parl/> He had run twice before, once in 1857 for the seat of Melbourne and again in 1859 for the seat of West Melbourne however he failed to win either election. Cohen then lost his seat in 1865 but regained it again in 1868.<ref name=parl/> He held this post until he died in East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1877. Cohen was also the Mayor of Melbourne from 1862 until 1863.<ref name=parl/>

==References== {{Reflist}} &nbsp; {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{Succession box | title = Mayor of Melbourne | years = 1862–1863 | before = Robert Bennett | after = John Smith }} {{end}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Edward}} Category:1822 births Category:1877 deaths Category:English emigrants to colonial Australia Category:Jewish Australian politicians Category:Jewish British politicians Category:Politicians from Melbourne Category:Politicians from London Category:Victoria (state) state politicians Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Category:Mayors and lord mayors of Melbourne Category:19th-century mayors of places in Australia Category:English people of Jewish descent Category:Commissioners of trade and customs (Victoria)