Former
Speakers

Sir Thomas Bent
1838-1909
Speaker: 1892-1894
Legislative Assembly: 1871-1894, 1900-1909

In 1849 Thomas Bent was brought by his parents to Port Phillip from his birthplace in New South Wales. In 1861 he gave up his successful market garden to become the Brighton rate collector. This appointment marked the beginning of a long career in public life centred around the Brighton area. He was elected to the Moorabbin Roads Board in 1863, became Chairman in 1867 and 1868, and then went on to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly in 1871 by defeating the sitting Member, George Higinbotham. In parliament Bent was a conservative who worked tirelessly for his electorate.

In 1874 he became a member of Brighton Council, and was elected Mayor within a year. He was also a member of Moorabbin Council and was simultaneously Major of Brighton and Chairman of Moorabbin Council in 1884, 1885, 1887 and 1888. In 1873 he began speculating in land at Brighton, and in the 1880s was involved in land speculation throughout Melbourne, floating the Thomas Bent Land Co. in 1888.

Bent also remained the Member for Brighton throughout this whole period and was Minister of Public Works in 1880 and Minister of Railways 1881-83. As Minister of Railways he brought in legislation to extend railway lines throughout Melbourne. In 1890-92, at the beginning of the 1890s depression, he was the Chairman of the Railways Standing Committee. In 1892 Bent became Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, but held the position for only two years before he was defeated at the 1894 election. He allegedly lost heavily in the bank crash of 1893, but made a living as a dairy farmer at Port Fairy after he lost his seat.

After several unsuccessful attempts to re-enter parliament he once again won the seat of Brighton in 1900. In 1902-03 he was Minister of Railways in the Irvine Ministry, and in 1904 became Premier and Treasurer.

Bent was knighted in 1908, and remained Premier until January 1909. A Royal Commission appointed by his successor to investigate allegations of corruption and irregularity in government land purchases censured him for some aspects of his behaviour, and he died at Brighton in September 1909.

Bent married twice, initially to Hannah Hall, then to Elizabeth Huntly, and was survived by his second wife and their two children.