Maurice Collins (politician)

This article is about the Australian politician. For the American basketball player Maurice "Mardy" Collins, see Mardy Collins.

Maurice Collins (1878 – 9 August 1945) was an Australian politician. He was a Country Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1928 to 1929, representing the electorate of Wakefield. He was reported to be "one of the best known personalities in the pastoral industry" in South Australia.^[1]

Maurice Collins
Member of the Australian Parliament for Wakefield
In office 17 November 1928 – 12 October 1929
Preceded by	Richard Foster
Succeeded by	Charles Hawker
Personal details
Born	1878 Mount Bryan, South Australia
Died	9 August 1945 (aged 66–67)
Political party	Australian Country Party
Occupation	Grazier

Collins was born at Mount Bryan, the seventh son of pastoralist Henry Collins.^[2] He was a partner in his father's firm, Henry Collins and Co., then took over one of the company's properties, Mallett, near Terowie, for himself. He was a District Council of Terowie councillor for eleven years. In 1919, he moved to Burra, and subsequently served as mayor of the Corporate Town of Burra from 1922 to 1928. He was also involved in Burra community organisations, serving as president of the Burra Bowling Club and as a member of the Burra Hospital Board.^[1][3][4]

In 1928, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Country Party member for Wakefield, defeating long-serving Nationalist MP Richard Foster. However, he was defeated in the election of the following year by the Nationalist candidate Charles Hawker.^[5]

In 1932 he relocated to Adelaide and became a writer on agricultural topics, living "more or less in retirement". Collins died in 1945 after a "considerable time" of ill health.^[1]