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Sir Archie Michaelis

MICHAELIS, SIR ARCHIE (1889–1975), Australian politician. Born in Melbourne, Archie Michaelis worked in his successful family firm of leather goods merchants before entering state politics in Victoria, Australia. Michaelis became one of the best-known politicians in Melbourne and the state of Victoria. Always a member of the right-of-center party (which changed its name several times during his career), Michaelis sat in the Victorian Legislative Assembly as member for St. Kilda from 1932 to 1952. He served as minister without portfolio in 1945 and was speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1950 to 1952. He was president of the St. Kilda Hebrew Congregation, a leading Orthodox synagogue in Melbourne. Originally typical of Jews of his background in opposing "political Zionism," by the end of his life he had become a strong supporter of Israel.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

W.D. Rubinstein, Australia II, 304–6.


Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.