Hermann Homburg

Hermann Robert Homburg (17 March 1874 – 12 December 1964) was a South Australian politician and lawyer.

Hermann Robert Homburg
Hermann Homburg as a member of the Adelaide Liedertafel in 1904
Attorney-General of South Australia
In office 22 December 1909 (1909-12-22) – 3 June 1910 (1910-06-03)
Premier	Archibald Peake
Preceded by	Samuel James Mitchell
Succeeded by	Bill Denny
In office 17 February 1912 (1912-02-17) – 21 January 1915 (1915-01-21)
Premier	Archibald Peake
Preceded by	Bill Denny
Succeeded by	Angas Parsons
In office 8 April 1927 (1927-04-08) – 17 April 1930 (1930-04-17)
Premier	R. L. Butler
Preceded by	Bill Denny
Succeeded by	Bill Denny
Minister for Industry
In office 17 February 1912 (1912-02-17) – 21 January 1915 (1915-01-21)
Premier	Archibald Peake
In office 8 April 1927 (1927-04-08) – 17 April 1930 (1930-04-17)
Premier	R. L. Butler
Member of the South Australian Legislative Council for Central District No. 2
In office 1933 (1933) – 1941 (1941)
Preceded by	John Herbert Cooke
Succeeded by	Ernest Anthoney
Member of the South Australian Legislative Assembly for Murray
In office 26 March 1927 (1927-03-26) – 5 April 1930 (1930-04-05)
Preceded by	Frank Staniford, Harry Young
Succeeded by	Robert Hunter, Frank Staniford
Parliamentary group	Liberal Federation
In office 3 November  1906 (1906-11-03) – 27 March 1915 (1915-03-27)
Preceded by	Walter Duncan
Succeeded by	George Dunn
Parliamentary group	National League (1906–1910) Liberal Union (1910–1915)
Personal details
Born	(1874-03-17)17 March 1874 Norwood, South Australia
Died	12 December 1964(1964-12-12) (aged 90) Dulwich, South Australia
Resting place	Centennial Park Cemetery
Political party	Liberal and Democratic Union, Liberal Union, Liberal Federation
Spouse(s)	Emma Lydia Louisa Herring ( m. 1897)
Father	Robert Homburg
Relatives	Robert Homburg Jr. (brother)
Occupation	politician and lawyer

Early life

Homburg was born in Norwood and educated at Prince Alfred College and the University of Adelaide. Following his admission to the bar in 1897, he practised law at his father's legal firm, Homburg & Melrose. Homburg's German-born father, Robert Homburg, was also a prominent South Australian politician and lawyer. Robert Homburg had served as Attorney-General of South Australia on three separate occasions, and also, later, as a justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, the first non-British migrant to be appointed to such a position in Australia.

Homburg supported participation in sport more than watching it. He was member and captain of the Glen Osmond Cricket Club and chairman of the North Adelaide Cycling Club.[1]

Before World War I

Representing his father's former electorate, Hermann Homburg served as a non-Labor Party member for Murray in the House of Assembly from 1906 to 1915. He became Attorney-General under Premier Archibald Peake in 1909 and also Minister for Industry from 1912 to 1915.

The outbreak of World War I in 1914 resulted in widespread distrust and persecution of German-Australians. In 1914, while he was Attorney-General, Homburg's government office in Adelaide was raided by soldiers with fixed bayonets. He soon fell victim to anti-German sentiment and resigned in early 1915 to avoid embarrassing the government in the forthcoming election.[2] Homburg wrote of a "campaign of lies and calumnies against me... because I am not of British lineage."

Between the wars

In 1927, Homburg successfully contested Murray again and returned to parliament. He served as Attorney-General and Minister for Industry in the R. L. Butler ministry from 1927 until losing his seat in 1930. From 1933 to 1941 he was a member of the Legislative Council. He was also a leader of Adelaide's secular German community during the interwar period.

Despite his many years of public service, Homburg's loyalties were once again questioned following the advent of World War II. His home and private office were searched and he was interned on 25 November 1940 but released after appeal on 21 December, under open conditional arrest, one condition being that he moved interstate. In January 1941 he relocated to Melbourne and then moved to Ballarat whereupon he retired from parliament. The judges at Homburg's appeal concluded, "it is obvious that one or more of the persons reporting may have a grudge against the objector Homburg and under pledge of secrecy be willing to lie to cause him distress and trouble."

After politics

Homburg returned to Adelaide in 1942 and continued to practice as a solicitor until his death in 1964. He wrote about his experiences during both wars in South Australian Lutherans and War-Time Rumours (1947). In 1945 Homburg was identified "holding a celebration on Hitler's birthday" at a cafe in Adelaide. This was after the horrors of Auschwitz became public knowledge. The Chronicle newspaper reported the event: "One Adelaide man, who saw members of the party entering the cafe about 3.50 p.m. on Friday, said that he was astounded to think such an assembly could take place in the heart of the city... "I remarked to a friend that with the atrocities in Europe now being revealed, it was just as well none of our servicemen were present to see what was taking place." [3]

References

1. "Interesting People". The Mail (Adelaide) (21). South Australia. 21 September 1912. p. 2. Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
2. "Personal". Table Talk (1539). Victoria, Australia. 21 January 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "Hitler's Birthday". The Chronicle (Adelaide). South Australia. 3 May 1945. p. 29. Retrieved 20 May 2020 – via Trove.

• Harmstorf, I. Homburg, Hermann Robert (1874 - 1964), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9, Melbourne University Press, 1983, pp 355–356.

Bibliography

• Homburg, Hermann (1947), South Australian Lutherans and wartime rumours, Adelaide: [s.n.], retrieved 22 April 2019

Political offices
Preceded by Samuel Mitchell	Attorney-General of South Australia 1909-1910	Succeeded by Bill Denny
Preceded by Bill Denny	Attorney-General of South Australia 1912-1915	Succeeded by Herbert Angas Parsons
Preceded by Bill Denny	Attorney-General of South Australia 1927-1930	Succeeded by Bill Denny
South Australian House of Assembly
Preceded by Walter Hughes Duncan	Member for Murray 1906–1915	Succeeded by George Dunn
Preceded by Frank Staniford Harry Young	Member for Murray 1927–1930	Succeeded by Robert Hunter Frank Staniford
South Australian Legislative Council
Preceded by John Herbert Cooke George Henry Prosser	Member for Central District No. 2 1933–1941	Succeeded by Ernest Anthoney