Wilfred Mibus

Johan Wilfred John "Mick" Mibus, known as Wilfred Mibus or Mick Mibus (14 September 1900 – 18 April 1964) was an Australian politician. He was a Country Party representative of the electoral district of Lowan (called Borung from 1945 to 1955) from 1944 until his death in 1964.

Wilfred Mibus
Minister for Water Supply and Mines
In office 7 June 1955 – 18 April 1964
Premier	Henry Bolte
Preceded by	Clive Stoneham (Water Supply) George Tilley (Mines)
Succeeded by	Jim Balfour
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Lowan
In office 4 November 1944 – 3 October 1945
Preceded by	Hamilton Lamb
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Borung
In office 10 November 1945 – 22 April 1955
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Lowan
In office 28 May 1955 – 18 April 1964
Succeeded by	Jim McCabe
Personal details
Born	Johan Wilfred John Mibus (1900-09-14)14 September 1900 Katyil (near Dimboola), Victoria
Died	18 April 1964(1964-04-18) (aged 63) Horsham, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Country Party Liberal and Country Party
Spouse(s)	Dora Esther Louise Graebner ( m. 1925)

Early life

Wilfred Mibus was born in 1900 in the small settlement of Katyil, near Dimboola, Victoria, to pioneer farmer Carl August Mibus and his wife Mathilda Nuske. Mibus studied for the Lutheran ministry at Concordia College in Adelaide, South Australia. He also attempted three years of a medical degree at the University of Melbourne, but gave up his studies due to severe asthma.[1]

Political career

Mibus worked as a campaign manager for his friend, Hamilton Lamb, who was the Member for Lowan from 1935 until 1943. Lamb died as a prisoner of war in a Japanese internment camp on the Burma Railway, and in his will, recommended that Mibus replace him in Lowan. Mibus was duly elected at the Lowan by-election on 4 November 1944.[2]

In 1949, Mibus was one of six Country MPs who defected to the Liberal and Country Party formed by Thomas Hollway from the Victorian division of the Liberal Party. The Country Party branded Mibus a "rebel" for his actions, and ran a Country candidate against him in Borung at the 1950 state election. Mibus was re-elected, and stated that the electors of Borung had endorsed his change of parties.[3]

Mibus died in office on 18 April 1964. He left an estate worth £A38,902 to his widow Dora, his son and his daughter.[4] No by-election was held for Lowan as a state election was held on 27 June that year, with Jim McCabe retaining the seat for the Liberal and Country Party.[5]

References

1. Mibus, (Johan) Wilfred John, Re-member, Parliament of Victoria.
2. Lamb, Tony. "From Wimmera to War" (PDF). Australasian Study of Parliaments Group in Victoria. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
3. "Electors Cleared Swing Says Mibus". The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954). Vic.: National Library of Australia. 19 May 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
4. "Minister left 38,902". The Age. 22 October 1964. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
5. McCabe, James Edmund, Re-member, Parliament of Victoria.

External links

• Parliamentary Biography

Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Hamilton Lamb	Member for Lowan 1944–1945	District abolished
District created	Member for Borung 1945–1955	District abolished
District created	Member for Lowan 1955–1964	Succeeded by Jim McCabe
Political offices
Preceded by Clive Stoneham	Minister for Water Supply 1955–1964	Succeeded by Jim Balfour
Preceded by George Tilley	Minister for Mines 1955–1964