RIGBY, Edward Charles CBE (1873-1958)

Modified on Wed, 31 Oct 2018 10:53 by Con — Categorized as: Biography - All, Biography - Collegians in the News 1861-1910, Biography - Students, Geelong College

RIGBY, Edward Charles CBE (1873-1958)

Edward Charles Rigby, solicitor and local councillor, became a leading proponent on town planning reform in Melbourne.

A councillor with the former City of Hawthorn from 1911 until his death in 1958 with the small exception of 1920-1921 he was involved in many of the major Melbourne planning reviews from the 1920s to the 1940s. These included Presidency of the Town Planning Association in 1920; Vice-chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Commission from 1923 to 1930 and Chairman of the Commission of Enquiry into the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works from 1941 to 1943.

Little is known of Rigby as a student. Recorded as born on 31 May 1873, he was enrolled by his parents, John Edward Rigby and Alison, nee Donaldson at the College in 1888. His enrolment address at the time was Canterbury St, Flemington. His period of attendance at the College was probably brief. As a relatively young student he unsurprisingly appears in neither the academic or sporting award lists of the Annual Reports.

His brother, Thomas Donaldson Rigby (1876-1951) was enrolled the same year as Edward.

Sources: Australian Municipal Journal, September, 1958; 'Australian Dictionary of Biography' B. Marginson, 'Rigby, Edward Charles (1873 - 1958)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11, Melbourne University Press, 1988, pp 391-392.