Vaiben Louis Solomon a 7-day wonder as South Australian premier in 1899, representing the Northern Territory

Vaiben Louis Solomon (inset) and his V.L. Solomon and Co. business premises in Mitchell Street, Darwin, in 1879.

Vaiben Louis Solomon had the briefest term as South Australian premier – seven days ­– in 1899 while representing the Northern Territory (then part of South Australia) in the House of Assembly.

Solomon was born in Adelaide, the son of Judah Moss Solomon, a member of the Legislative Council and Adelaide lord mayor 1869-70. Educated at J.L. Young’s Adelaide Educational Institution and Scotch College, Melbourne, he returned to work at Adelaide Stock Exchange. He returned to Adelaide, where he worked at the Stock Exchange.

Solomon’s wish to marry Mary Ann Wigzell, a gentile, against the published wish of his father, was a possible factor in his move to the Northern Territory in 1873 where he became editor of the Northern Territory Times as well as becoming prosperous in several commercial enterprises. He helped found and became chairman of Palmerston’s (now Darwin) first municipal council.

In 1890, Solomon was elected with J. Langdon Parson as the first representatives of the territory in the South Australia parliament. Their campaign advocated a White Australia Policy.

A big personality, Solomon served as government whip before becoming opposition leader in 1899, when he had the Charles Kingston government was brought down over Kingston’s proposal to extend Legislative Council suffrage to all householders and their wives.

Solomon then became premier and treasurer for one week, December 1 to 8, 1899, before further machinations led new opposition leader Frederick Holder to the premiership. The episode created the nickname “Sudden Solomon”.