The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Bews, Hon. David
Bews, Hon. David, M.P., sometime Minister of Education for South Australia, was born near Kirkwall, in the Orkney Islands, in 1850, and went to South Australia with his parents the following year. In 1853, during the gold rush in Victoria, his family removed to that colony, but only to return one year later. Mr. Bews' father then engaged in farming operations near Port Elliot, and afterwards near Adelaide. Mr. Bews continued as a farmer till he attained his majority, when he secured a position as clerk with the Kadina & Wallaroo Railway Company. He subsequently became goods manager; but seven years later (in 1879), when the Government took over the line, he left the service, and entered the ranks of journalism by taking charge of the Wallaroo Times. He was three times mayor of the Wallaroo Corporation, besides which he was a member of the late Yorke's Peninsula Local Road Board, and the School Board of Advice. In 1885 Mr. Bews first entered the House of Assembly as member for Wallaroo, and was re-elected on March 19th, 1887, and at the General Election in 1890. In August of that year he accepted the office of Minister of Education in Mr. Playford's Government. Mr. Bews, who had been appointed one of the South Australian delegates at the Postal Convention, died in Melbourne whilst en route to Sydney on Feb. 24th, 1891.