Felix Dittmer
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Dr Felix Dittmer
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Felix Dittmer.jpg
| title = Senator for Queensland
| term_start = 1 July 1959
| term_end = 30 June 1971
| predecessor = Condon Byrne
| successor = Ron McAuliffe
| constituency_AM1 = Mount Gravatt
| assembly1 = Queensland Legislative
| term_start1 = 29 April 1950
| term_end1 = 3 August 1957
| predecessor1 = Seat Established
| successor1 = Graham Hart
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1904|6|27}}
| birth_place = Dugandan, Queensland
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1977|8|29|1904|6|27}}
| death_place = Brisbane, Queensland
| restingplace = Mt Gravatt Cemetery
| nationality = Australian
| spouse = Minnie Elizabeth Crow
| party = Labor
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater = University of Queensland
University of Sydney
| occupation = Doctor
| profession =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Felix Cyril Sigismund Dittmer (27 June 1904 – 29 August 1977)[http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dittmer-felix-cyril-sigismund-10022 Dittmer, Felix Cyril Sigismund (1904–1977)] — Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 22 January 2015. was an Australian politician.[http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3910707965 Dittmer, Dr Felix Cyril Sigismund] — Government of Queensland. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
Early life
Felix Cyril Sigismund Dittmer was born on 27 June 1904 in Dugandan, Queensland, the son of Gustav Dittmer and his wife Marie Farris (née Massie). His father was a chemist born in Germany.{{cite Au Senate |sen id=dittmer-felix-cyril-sigismund |title=Dittmer, Felix Cyril Sigismund (1904–1977) |first=Lou |last=Daniels |year=2010 |access-date=2022-12-22}}
His primary schooling was at St Mary's Convent School in Bowen and Childers State School.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192499750 |title=Social |newspaper=Bowen Independent |location=Queensland |date=5 January 1918 |access-date=20 November 2015 |page=2 |via=Trove}} He attended Childers State High School, where he achieved the highest results of any student being dux and winning prizes in all his subjects. He completed his secondary schooling at St Joseph's College, Nudgee in Brisbane. He was the first student from the Isis district to be awarded a university scholarship.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article201957837 |title=An{{sic |nolink=yes}} Unique Record |newspaper=Bowen Independent |location=Queensland |date=17 January 1922 |access-date=20 November 2015 |page=2 |via=Trove}} Later he studied at the University of Queensland and the University of Sydney, becoming a doctor. He was an honorary surgeon in Brisbane.{{cite web|last=Carr |first=Adam |title=Australian Election Archive |work=Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia |year=2008 |access-date=16 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717093439/http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/ |archivedate=17 July 2007 }}
Dittmer practised in Proserpine (1932–1940) and Brisbane (1940–1943), becoming an ear, nose and throat specialist. He enlisted in the Australian Military Forces in August 1943 and served with the Australian Army Medical Corps until February 1946, when he moved to the Army Reserve. While living in North Queensland, Dittmer bought a gold mine in the Whitsunday Region. He established Dittmer Gold Mines Limited and the town of Dittmer grew up around the mine; the company was liquidated in 1952.
Politics
Dittmer was president of the Graceville branch of the ALP. He first stood for parliament at a 1943 Queensland Legislative Assembly by-election in the seat of Oxley. He also stood at the 1944 state election. In 1950, Dittmer was elected to the Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Mount Gravatt; he briefly served as state deputy Labor leader in 1957. He lost his seat in the 1957 state election, but in 1958, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Labor Senator for Queensland. He remained in the Senate until his retirement in 1970, taking effect in 1971.
Later life
Dittmer died in 1977 and is buried in Mount Gravatt Cemetery.[https://online.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cemeteries/cemeteries_step3.jsp?mapdisplay=54220 Dittmer Felix] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122053002/https://online.brisbane.qld.gov.au/cemeteries/cemeteries_step3.jsp?mapdisplay=54220 |date=22 January 2015 }} — Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
References
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{{s-par|au-qld}}
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{{s-ttl |title= Member for Mount Gravatt|years=1950–1957}}
{{s-aft|after=Graham Hart}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dittmer, Felix}}
Category:People educated at St Joseph's College, Nudgee
Category:Military personnel from Queensland
Category:Australian Army personnel of World War II
Category:Royal Australian Army Medical Corps soldiers
Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Queensland
Category:Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Queensland
Category:Australian people of German descent