Background
Ewing was born at Pitt Town, New South Wales to clergyman Thomas Campbell Ewing and Elizabeth, née Thomson.
Ewing was born at Pitt Town, New South Wales to clergyman Thomas Campbell Ewing and Elizabeth, née Thomson.
Despite an intention to study for the Bar, he joined a surveyor"s party at the age of 17, and became a licensed surveyor with the New South Wales Department of Lands in 1877. In 1885 Ewing left the Lands Department to stand, successfully, for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the seat of Richmond. In 1894 he transferred to the seat of Lismore, and became known as an independently minded member.
A popular member, he became involved in Sydney"s hydro-electricity scheme, fiscal policy and Federation, where he was a supporter of Sir Henry Parkes, Sir George Dibbs and Sir Patrick Jennings.
Ewing moved to federal politics in 1901, entering the Australian House of Representatives as the Protectionist member for Richmond. In the second administration of Alfred Deakin he was Vice-President of the Executive Council (1905-1906), Minister for Home Affairs (1906-1907), and Minister for Defence (1907-1908).
A strong supporter of the White Australia Policy and of compulsory military training, Ewing organised a scheme for such compulsory training, which was the basis of the 1909 Defence Acting. Ewing was an amiable and well-liked politician who had a gift for telling stories, of which he wrote many.
Ewing had little part in public life after his 1910 retirement.
He died of heart and kidney disease in a Darlinghurst hospital on 15 September 1920.
Ewing retired from politics in 1910 due to ill health, and began farming on the Tweed River. He also wrote scholarly works and published Progress of Australasia During the Nineteenth Century with Sir Timothy Coghlan in 1903, and Review of the Rival Railway Schemes for the Connection of the Tableland of New England with a Deep Sea Portuguese on the North Coast in 1913.