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| Broinowski was promoted to clerk-assistant of the Senate in 1930 and succeeded as clerk of the Senate on 1 January 1939. He had "a reputation as a fierce defender of the dignity and forms of the Senate".<ref name=bio/> | Broinowski was promoted to clerk-assistant of the Senate in 1930 and succeeded as clerk of the Senate on 1 January 1939. He had "a reputation as a fierce defender of the dignity and forms of the Senate".<ref name=bio/> | ||
| ==Other activities== | |||
| Broinowski was interested in literature, the arts and nature. He was secretary of Melbourne's Repertory Theatre Club and a member of various literary societies. He contributed verse to ''Birth: A Little Journal of Australian Poetry'' and was editor of the poetry page in ''Stead's Review''. In 1924 he became editor of ''The Spinner'', a poetry magazine financed by ] which published works by ], ] and ].<ref name=adb/> He resigned that position after moving to Canberra in 1927, where he became the first president of the town's Arts and Literature Society. In retirement he was a book reviewer for '']'', made radio appearances on ], and was a narrator for children's audiobooks.<ref name=bio/> | |||
| Broinowski was also a keen ], developing a friendship with ] through their membership of the Melbourne Walking Club. He donated the Broinowski Cup as a prize for a tennis competition for Canberra public servants.<ref name=adb/> | |||
| ==Personal life== | ==Personal life== | ||
Revision as of 05:17, 12 December 2024
| Robert Broinowski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Clerk of the Australian Senate | |
| In office 1 January 1939 – 30 November 1942 | |
| Preceded by | George Monahan |
| Succeeded by | John Edwards |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1877-12-01)1 December 1877 Balwyn, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 16 August 1959(1959-08-16) (aged 81) Lindfield, New South Wales, Australia |
| Spouse(s) |
Grace Evans
(m. 1906; div. 1926) Kathleen Knell (m. 1927) |
| Relations | Gracius Broinowski (father) Richard Broinowski (grandson) |
Robert Arthur Broinowski (1 December 1877 – 16 August 1959) was an Australian public servant and poet. He served as clerk of the Australian Senate from 1939 to 1942.
Early life
Broinowski was born on 1 December 1877 in Balwyn, Victoria. He was one of eight children born to Jane (née Smith) and Gracius Broinowski. His father was a Polish-born ornithologist and artist who arrived in Australia in the 1850s.
Broinowski and his family moved to Sydney in 1880. He attended a state school in Milsons Point, then went on to St Aloysius' College where his father was an art teacher.
Career
In 1902, Broinowski joined the Commonwealth Public Service in Melbourne as a clerk with the Department of Defence, a position obtained via Prime Minister Edmund Barton who was a friend of his father. In 1907 he was appointed private secretary to the Minister for Defence, working under Thomas Ewing, George Pearce, and Joseph Cook.
Broinowski transferred to Federal Parliament in 1911 as a clerk and shorthand writer in the Department of the Senate, working out of Parliament House, Melbourne. He was promoted to clerk of papers in 1915 and to usher of the black rod, clerk of committees, and accountant in 1920. As usher of the black rod, he was involved in the ceremonial opening of the first sitting of parliament in the new capital Canberra in 1927.
Broinowski was promoted to clerk-assistant of the Senate in 1930 and succeeded as clerk of the Senate on 1 January 1939. He had "a reputation as a fierce defender of the dignity and forms of the Senate".
Other activities
Broinowski was interested in literature, the arts and nature. He was secretary of Melbourne's Repertory Theatre Club and a member of various literary societies. He contributed verse to Birth: A Little Journal of Australian Poetry and was editor of the poetry page in Stead's Review. In 1924 he became editor of The Spinner, a poetry magazine financed by Edward Vidler which published works by Mary Gilmore, Shaw Neilson and Marie Pitt. He resigned that position after moving to Canberra in 1927, where he became the first president of the town's Arts and Literature Society. In retirement he was a book reviewer for The Sydney Morning Herald, made radio appearances on 2CH, and was a narrator for children's audiobooks.
Broinowski was also a keen bushwalker, developing a friendship with Robert Henderson Croll through their membership of the Melbourne Walking Club. He donated the Broinowski Cup as a prize for a tennis competition for Canberra public servants.
Personal life
In 1906, Broinowski married Grace Evans, a professional violinist, with whom he had two sons. He was divorced in 1926 and remarried the following year to Kathleen Knell, with whom he had a daughter. He retired to Sydney and died at his home in Lindfield on 16 August 1959, aged 81.
References
- ^ Thompson, John R. (1979). "Robert Arthur Broinowski (1877–1959)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 7. Melbourne University Press.
- Chisholm, A. H. (1969). "Gracius Joseph Broinowski (1837–1913)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 3. Melbourne University Press.
- ^ Broinowski, Richard (2004). "Broinowski, Robert Arthur (1877–1959)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Vol. 2. Melbourne University Press.