6 April 1920   Archibald Peake

Archibald Peake, three times Premier of South Australia, died suddenly at his home at Parkside on 6 April 1920.

Peake was born in London in 1850 and was only three years old when his family emigrated to Australia. They lived in Victoria for two years and then moved to South Australia. When Peake left school he worked for the District Council of Naracoorte from 1878 to 1897.

In the elections of May that year he won the seat of Albert in the House of Assembly by two votes, but lost it in a case in the Court of Disputed Returns. He was re-elected by a greater majority in a by-election in July. He was appointed Treasurer and Attorney-General in Tom Price's government (a coalition of Labor, Liberal and Democratic Union) in 1905. On Price's death in 1909, Peake formed a coalition government without Labor. This government was defeated by Labor in 1910, but Peake was again Premier in 1912. In 1913 he lost his seat, but returned to politics in 1917 when the seat of Alexandra was made available to him. He became Premier again in 1917, once more in a coalition of Liberal and Liberal- National.

The Advertiser 7 April 1920 p.7; 8 April 1920 p.7.