Richard Heales

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Richard Heales (22 February 1822 – 19 June 1864) was an Australian politician who became the 4th Premier of Victoria, serving from 26 November 1860 to 14 November 1861.

Born in London, Heales was the son of an ironmonger. He trained as a coachbuilder and moved to Victoria with his father in 1842. He started as a laborer, then became a wheelwright and coachbuilder in 1847, eventually growing wealthy. He was a teetotaler and a leading temperance campaigner, helping to fund and build the Temperance Hall in Russell Street.

Heales entered politics in Melbourne, winning a seat on the Melbourne City Council in 1850. He resigned in 1852 and briefly returned to England, but came back to Melbourne in time for the first elections under Victoria’s new Constitution in 1856. He failed to win the Melbourne seat in the Legislative Assembly, but was elected member for East Bourke in March 1857 and then for East Bourke Boroughs in October 1859, a seat he held for the rest of his life.

In October 1860, Heales strongly opposed the Nicholson government’s land bill. After Nicholson’s government was defeated in November 1860, Heales became premier and chief secretary. He promoted his own land policies, but in June 1861 was defeated on a vote of confidence. A dissolution followed, and he was returned with strong rural support. However, in November 1861 some of his senior supporters defected, and he resigned as premier.

As a Congregationalist, Heales opposed state funding for religion and supported a secular education system. In 1862 he introduced a bill to create a single education board to unify the school system, which passed with broad support.

When John O’Shanassy lost power in June 1863, Heales was appointed president of the Board of Land and Works and Commissioner of Crown Lands and Surveys in James McCulloch’s ministry. He pushed two more land bills, but both were rejected by the Legislative Council.

Heales fell ill in 1864 and died in Elsternwick, Melbourne, at age 42. He is buried in Melbourne General Cemetery. He was married to Rhoda Parker and had eight children. The town of Healesville, about 52 km northeast of Melbourne, was named after him. In 1964 a centenary medal for Healesville was issued, featuring his image.