Arthur was born in Salisbury, South Australia to Edwin and Ann Short, née Kerwin. Edwin was a son of Captain William Short Honourable East India Company’s Service, and may also have served in the East India Company, but had been chief officer on the Emma trading between Adelaide and Sydney. His father, always an aggressive man, around 1860 following a blow to the head, began displaying erratic behaviour.
Arthur was educated at a Grammar School.
In 1869 Edwin Short selected 1,000 acres (400 ha) near Maitland and the Cocoanut Station, Kulpara which the boys managed alone until 1873 when the rest of the family moved to "The Cocoanut". He believed he was being persecuted by the Rymill brothers, Sir Henry Ayers and his own lawyers Way & Symon. Edwin Short appealed against his confinement, and was able to produce witnesses as to his sanity, but evidence given by his family and neighbours was compelling.
Arthur had taken over management of the properties, and in 1880 was licensed as an auctioneer.
When Maitland, Kilkerran, Moolywurtie, and Cunningham were formed into a district he was elected the first district clerk, later Maitland"s first town clerk, and Mayor for a total of six years. He stood again, but was beaten by William Copley.
He left for Western Australia, where he ran an auctioneering business in Murray Street, Perth from 1898, then Hay Street. He contested the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seats of West Perth in 1900 and East Perth seat in 1901, but was unsuccessful.
He filed for bankruptcy in 1904 and returned to South Australia sometime after mid-1906.
In 1908 he applied for an auctioneer"s licence in South Australia and again in 1916, then began auctioneering for Phillips & Company of Franklin Street. He had a residence at 157 Fisher Street, Malvern, where he died. William Short Honourable East India Company’s Service ( – before October 1873)
Edwin Short ( – ) married Ann Kerwin ( – ) in Sydney in October 1842.
Both died before 1926.
Their children included:
Edwin Short jnr (c 1844 – )
William Short (21 October 1846 – ) married Mary Frost (c May 1846 – 23 April 1917) in 1865. He was born at Brighton, farmed at "Courtwick", Salisbury for two years, then from around 1876 a pioneer farmer at Winulta.
Albert Short (10 April 1848 – ) married Emma Kentish (12 May 1854 – ) on 13 January 1875
Arthur Short (18 June 1850 – 25 October 1933) married Julia Nugent Blackham (10 October 1856 – 13 August 1949, daughter of William John James Blackham and Elizabeth nee Guy) on 9 June 1881, lived at Glenelg in 1925
Arthur Ernest William Short (24 October 1888 – 19 July 1949), known as Ernest or A.E.W. Short, married Viola Warren on 28 October 1914. He was managing director of paper merchants Woolcott, Short & Company and elected Lord Mayor of Adelaide 1949, but died a few weeks later.
Ida Short ( – )
Lillie Short ( – )
Florence Adair "Florrie" Short ( – ) married Augustus Montay "Gus" Crane ( – ) on 18 December 1924
Ellen Short (c 1853 – ) married Charles Albert Abbott ( – ) on 5 September 1898
Alfred Short (after 1855 – )
Emily Short (c August 1860 – 4 October 1873) died after falling from a horse.
