Background
Wise was born in Melbourne and educated at Scotch College from five years old to when he matriculated in 1868.
Wise was born in Melbourne and educated at Scotch College from five years old to when he matriculated in 1868.
He became an articled clerk and was admitted to the bar in September 1874 and set up his own practice in 1877 in Sale. He established the Sale branch of the Australian Natives" Association (ANA) in 1886 and became president of the Victorian branch of the ANA in 1891. Wise was a strong supporter of the federation of Australia and stood unsuccessfully in 1892, 1894 and 1904 for election to the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
He could not accept the creation of the Fusion in 1909 and stood as an independent in 1910 and gained 62 percent of the vote against the Fusion candidate.
He subsequently often supported the Australian Labor Party, but did not join lieutenant Wise joined the Nationalist Party of Australia in 1916, thus reuniting him with many of his former Protectionist colleagues.
He was easily reelected in 1917. Prime Minister Billy Hughes appointed him an honorary minister assisting the Minister for Defence from March 1918 to February 1920.
He was Postmaster-General from February 1920 in the Fifth Hughes Ministry, but lost his position in the reshuffle when Stanley Bruce was brought into the ministry in December 1921.
He was almost defeated by the Country Party in 1919 and he lost to its candidate, Thomas Paterson in 1922.
He was elected as a member of Sale Borough Council from 1880 to 1904 and was mayor six times.