{{Short description|Australian politician (1846–1906)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Sidney Austin |image = Sidney Austin.jpg |caption = |office1 = Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for South Western Province |term_start1 = 13 September 1888 |term_end1 = 1 June 1904 |predecessor1 = William Robertson |alongside1 = Francis Ormond, Joseph Connor, Donald Wallace, Joseph Grey, Henry Wrixon, Thomas Harwood |successor1 = Henry Wrixon and Thomas Harwood |office2 = Mayor of Geelong |order2 = 34th |term_start2 = 1896 |term_end2 = 1899 |predecessor2 = Horace Richardson |successor2 = William Picken Carr |birth_date = {{birth date|1846|5|16|df=yes}} |birth_place = Baltonsborough, England |death_date = {{death date and age|1906|5|8|1846|5|16|df=yes}} |death_place = Newtown, Victoria, Australia }} '''Sidney Austin''' (16 May 1846 – 8 May 1906) was an English-born Australian politician. He served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Council and as Mayor of Geelong.
==Biography== Austin was born on 16 May 1846 in Baltonsborough, England, as the son of John Austin and Eleanor {{nee}} Collins.<ref name="parl">{{cite web |title=Sidney Austin |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/sidney-austin/ |website=Parliament of Victoria |access-date=2 November 2025}}</ref><ref name="adb">{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=P. L. |title=Sidney Austin (1846–1906) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/austin-sidney-5083 |website=Australian Dictionary of Biography |access-date=3 November 2025}}</ref> He was the nephew of James Austin, the second Mayor of Geelong.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8897280 |title=DEATH OF AN OLD COLONIST. |newspaper=The Argus (Melbourne) |issue=15,526 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=4 April 1896 |accessdate=2 November 2025 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He was also related to other members of the Parliament of Victoria, including Edwin Austin, Austin Austin, Edward Austin, and Thomas Austin. Another relative was Thomas Austin, who was largely responsible for introducing rabbits in Australia.<ref name="psephos1888"/>
He emigrated to Victoria in 1864, following his brothers Josiah, Benjamin and Albert.<ref name="psephos1888"/><ref name="adb"/>
In 1871, he married his cousin, Harriet Mary Austin. She died in 1901.<ref name="adb"/>
He was elected Mayor of Geelong. He held this position during the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. For the occasion, a medalion was minted with his name on the obverse face.<ref>{{cite web |title=Medal - Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, Town of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 1897 |url=https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/75957 |website=Museum Victoria Collections |access-date=2 November 2025}}</ref>
Austin was elected to represent the South Western Province in the Victorian Legislative Council at the 1888 Victorian Legislative Council election. He was elected unopposed.<ref name="psephos1888">{{cite web |last1=Carr |first1=Adam |title=VICTORIA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTION OF 13 SEPTEMBER 1888 |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/states/vic/historic/1888council.txt |website=Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive |access-date=2 November 2025}}</ref>
After serving for 16 years, Austin did not contest the 1904 Victorian Legislative Council election due to ill health.<ref name="adb"/> South Western went from three to two members at that election. Austin's decision not to stand resulted in Henry Wrixon and Thomas Harwood both winning re-election unopposed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carr |first1=Adam |title=VICTORIA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTION OF 1 JUNE 1904 |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/states/vic/historic/1904council.txt |website=Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive |access-date=2 November 2025}}</ref>
Austin died on 8 May 1906 in Newtown, Geelong.<ref name="parl"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
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Category:1846 births Category:1906 deaths Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Category:Mayors of Geelong Category:19th-century mayors of places in Australia Category:Politicians from the Colony of Victoria Category:Politicians from Melbourne Category:English emigrants to colonial Australia Category:British emigrants to the Colony of Victoria