Edward George Honey

Edward George Honey
Johnstone, O'Shannessy & Co. · Public domain · source
Name	Edward George Honey
Birth date	1885
Birth place	Melbourne
Death date	1922
Death place	London
Occupation	Journalist
Nationality	Australian

Edward George Honey was an Australian journalist and soldier known for proposing the practice of the two-minute silence observed on Armistice Day and Remembrance Day. His suggestion influenced commemorative practices in London and across the British Empire after World War I. Honey's life intersected with institutions such as The Times and communities in Victoria and Westminster during the postwar period.

Early life and background

Born in Melbourne in 1885, Honey was raised in the colony of Victoria during the period of Federation of Australia. He was the son of parents connected to local civic life in South Melbourne and received schooling influenced by the educational climate shaped by the Victorian Education Department. Honey moved between Australia and England as part of migration flows linking the British Empire and its dominions. His formative years coincided with events such as the Second Boer War and debates in the British Empire about imperial identity.

Career and journalism

Honey worked as a journalist and contributed to newspapers and periodicals in Melbourne and later in London. He engaged with editorial circles connected to The Argus and London journals influenced by proprietors like the families that owned Reed Elsevier-era publications. His bylines reached audiences involved with journals that reported on World War I developments, the War Cabinet, and parliamentary debates in Westminster. Honey's writings reflected contemporary issues reported by outlets such as The Times, Daily Mail, and other press institutions that shaped public opinion during and after the conflict.

Proposal of the two-minute silence

In 1919 Honey wrote a letter suggesting a marked period of silence to commemorate those lost during World War I. His proposal urged citizens to observe a quiet interval at the time of the Armistice and specifically referenced practices associated with remembrance already evolving in London and across Britain and Ireland. The idea resonated with contemporaneous initiatives debated within bodies such as the British Legion (later Royal British Legion), municipal authorities in Cape Town, and civic planners in Whitehall. The two-minute silence became associated with official ceremonies at memorials like the Cenotaph and events presided over by figures from the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Influence and recognition

Honey's suggestion influenced the adoption of silence rituals on Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and other parts of the British Empire. Authorities including municipal councils in Melbourne and national organizations like the Royal British Legion implemented silence observances that paralleled practices at memorials such as the Menin Gate in Ypres and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Literary and cultural commentators in outlets like The Times Literary Supplement and broadcasters in institutions such as the British Broadcasting Corporation later discussed origins of the silence, while historians at universities including University of Melbourne and King's College London examined archival correspondence, civic records, and newspaper reportage to trace influences. Honey received varying degrees of recognition in civic commemorations and scholarly works examining post-World War I remembrance culture.

Later life and death

After his publicised proposal Honey continued journalistic and civic activities in London and maintained connections with communities in Melbourne and Victoria. He lived through the interwar period amid debates in institutions like the Foreign Office and across societies dealing with war memorialisation and veterans' affairs administered by organisations such as the British Legion. Honey died in London in 1922, leaving a legacy tied to commemorative practice that grew into an established ritual in countries across the former British Empire and beyond.

Category:Australian journalists Category:People from Melbourne Category:1885 births Category:1922 deaths