The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Sargood, Lieut.-Col. Hon. Sir Frederick Thomas
Sargood, Lieut.-Col. Hon. Sir Frederick Thomas, K.C.M.G., M.L.C., late Minister of Defence and Education, Victoria, is a son of the late Frederick James Sargood, M.L.A. He was born at Walworth, London, on May 30th, 1834, and arrived in Victoria, then Port Phillip, in Feb. 1850. He was for a short time in the public service in the office of Public Works, and then joined his father in the business of warehouseman. He entered the Volunteer force in 1859, and is now lieut.-colonel in the Defence force. He was elected a member of the Legislative Council in 1874, and still sits for the South Yarra province. In the following year he was elected a member of the Melbourne Harbour Trust; and during a visit to England in 1880 was appointed as special delegate to represent the colony before the Imperial Commission for the protection of British possessions abroad. He returned to Victoria in 1882, and in Nov. 1883 joined the Service-Berry Government as Minister of Defence, in which capacity he planned and carried out the reorganisation of the Defence forces, naval and military, including the employment of Imperial officers. He was also Minister of Water Supply until Feb. 1886, when he retired on the Ministry being merged in that of Mr. Gillies. He was appointed Executive Vice-President of the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition of 1888, and became President on the retirement of Mr. Justice Higinbotham. He was created C.M.G. in 1884, and K.C.M.G. in 1890. Sir Frederick married first, in 1858, Marian Australian, only daughter of the Hon. G. Rolfe, M.L.C.; and, secondly, in 1880, Julia, second daughter of James Tomlin, of London. He accepted office as Minister of Defence and Education in the Munro Ministry in Nov. 1890, but resigned office a year later rather than assent to the "one man one vote" principle of election. Ultimately he withdrew his resignation on the measure being dropped, but finally retired on the Ministry being reconstructed in Feb. 1892, under Mr. Shiels, who announced his adhesion to the "one man one vote" principle.