Thomas Rainsford Bavin was a Judge, Premier New South Wales.
1 20 December 1921
April 1922-June 1925
Occupation: Barrister.
Called to Bar: 1897.
Appointed Judge of NSW Supreme Court: 1935.
Alderman Willoughby: 1911-14.
Resigned from National Party: 1920.
Becoming deputy leader of Progressives, stood as Coalition candidate: 1922.
Rejoined National Party, Leader: 1925-32.
Vice-President UAP: 1932-35.
Member Legislative Assembly: Gordon: March 1917-February 1920; Ryde: March 1920-September 1927; Gordon: October 1927-October 1935 (resigned).
Cont. Canterbury: 1898.
Minister of Justice: 20 December 1921.
Treasurer: October 1927-April 1929.
Colonial Secretary: February-April 1929.
Premier: October 1927-November 1930.
President Royal Commissioner Food Supply: 1911-13.
Thomas Rainsford Bavin was born on 5 May 1874 at Kaiapoi, New Zealand, the son of the Reverend Rainsford Bavin, a Methodist minister. The family moved to Sydney in 1889. He was educated at Auckland Grammar School, Newington College and the University ofydney, where he graduated as a B.A. in 1894 and LL.B. in 1897. He was admitted to the Bar in 1897.
Bavin became an enthusiastic supporter of Edmund Barton's National Federal Party and unsuccessfully stood for Parliament in the 1898 election. Following Federation, he became Barton's private secretary and was also Alfred Deakin's private secretary in 193-1904. He returned to the Bar in 1904, but remained strongly interested in politics and wrote regular newspaper articles. From 1907 to 1911 he shared with Deakin the writing of the 'Australian Correspondent' column in the London Morning Post. In 1911-193 he chaired the Royal Commission on Food Supplies and Prices. He became joint secretary of the Universal Service League in 1915.
Bavin lost Liberal pre-selection in 1910 and 1911, but he finally won the Legislative Assembly seat of Gordon as a Nationalist in 1917. He was Attorney-General in the Ministry led by Sir George Fuller in 1922-1925. Following the Government's defeat in 195, he succeeded Fuller as Leader of the Nationalist Party. In 1927 he became Premier and Treasurer in a coalition ministry. In 1930, with the onset of the great depression, he took drastic measures, including the restoration of the 48 hour week, and in Otober the Government was defeated by the Labor Party led by J.T. Lang. Bavin continued to be Leader of the Nationalist Party, but in March 1932, faced with a challenge by Bertram Stevens, he resigned as Leader. In October 1935 Bavin resigned from Parliamnt on his appointment as a Justice of the New South Wales Supreme Court. For the rest of his life he suffered from continued ill-health. He remained, however, a prominent public figure. He was President of the Australian Institute of International Affair, the Sydney University Law Society, the Sydney Repertory Theatre Society and in 1938 chaired the British Commonwealth Relations Conference at Lapstone. He died at Sydney on 31 August 1941.
Bavin was appointed K.C.M.G. in 1933. He had married Edyth Winchcombe in 1901 and they had a son and three daughters.