Arthur Coles

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(Sir) Arthur Coles
Arthur Coles in 1945
Member of the Australian Parliament for Henty
In office 21 September 1940 – 30 March 1946
Preceded by	Sir Henry Gullett
Succeeded by	Jo Gullett
65th Lord Mayor of Melbourne
In office 1938–1940
Preceded by	Sir Edward Campbell
Succeeded by	Sir Francis Beaurepaire
Personal details
Born	(1892-08-07)7 August 1892 Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Died	14 June 1982(1982-06-14) (aged 89) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Independent

Sir Arthur William "A.W." Coles (7 August 1892 – 14 June 1982) was a prominent Australian businessman and philanthropist, a son of St James, Victoria shopkeeper George W. Coles (died 1932).

With his brothers George James "G.J." (1885–1977), Kenneth Frank "K.F." (1896 –1985), Edgar Barton "E.B." (1899–1981), and Norman Cameron "N.C." Coles (1907–1989), A. W. Coles founded Coles Variety Stores in the 1920s, which was to become Coles Group, one of the two largest supermarket chains in Australia.

He served as Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1938 to 1940.

In 1940 he was elected to the federal parliament as an Independent from Henty. With Alexander Wilson, he held the balance of power, at first keeping the UAP-National government in office, but in 1941 switching sides to install a new Australian Labor Party government.

In 1946 Coles was appointed chair of the Australian National Airways Commission, which founded Trans Australia Airlines (later known as Australian Airlines, which became the domestic arm of Qantas).