Rex Whiting Pearson (13 January 1905 – 11 September 1961) was an Australian politician. Born in Kadina, South Australia, he was educated in Adelaide at Prince Alfred College before becoming a farmer and grazier, initially at Sandilands on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.

In 1927, Pearson moved with his widowed mother to Jamestown. In 1935, he moved with his family, and that of his brother Glen, to Cockaleechie. In the following year, he moved 20 km north to Yeelanna. He first contested the South Australian House of Assembly electorate of Flinders for the Liberal and Country League at the state election in 1938, but lost to Edward Craigie, the candidate for the Single Tax League, after the distribution of preferences.

Rex Pearson

In 1941, Pearson was elected for Flinders, defeating Craigie on preferences from the Labor candidate. Even though he moved to Belair, and later Lower Mitcham near Adelaide and his mother's home, he won the 1947 and 1950 elections for Flinders, and retained his interest and support for farming and rural interests in his electorate on the Eyre Peninsula.

Rex Pearson

In 1951, Pearson transferred to federal politics, winning a seat in the Australian Senate as a Liberal at that year's double dissolution federal election. His brother Glen won the by-election for the consequential vacancy in the seat of Flinders. Pearson held his Senate seat by winning elections in 1953 and 1958, until his death in 1961, after which the South Australian parliament appointed Gordon Davidson to replace him.

Rex Pearson

Pearson was a Methodist lay preacher on the Eyre Peninsula.

References

Liberal and Country League politicians

Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia

Members of the Australian Senate for South Australia

Members of the Australian Senate

Members of the South Australian House of Assembly

1905 births

1961 deaths

20th-century Australian politicians