Sir Arthur Gordon Rylah, KBE CMG (3 October 1909 – 20 September 1974) was an Australian politician and lawyer[1] who served as Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1955 to 1971.

[1] During his time as Chief Secretary he oversaw the consolidation of all Victoria's statutes (1958), introduced legal off-course betting (1960) using the New Zealand Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) as a model, allowed cinemas to open on Sundays (1964), did away with six o'clock closing of hotels, thereby permitting alcohol to be served till 10pm (1965), allowed sport to be played on Sundays (1967), and sponsored legislation for the compulsory wearing of seat-belts for motorists (1970) and to provide for random breath-testing of drivers (1971).

He zealously took on the role of public censor, banning everything from James Joyce's Ulysses to Rudyard Kipling's Barrack-Room Ballads ("No, I haven't read it, but with a title like that it must be dirty").

He was also responsible for prohibiting performances of the play The Boys in the Band (which he condemned as obscene) and for the covering of public statues of Michelangelo's David.

[1] An autopsy determined that she had died of a stroke and the state coroner, in an unusual move which generated considerable controversy at the time, allowed her remains to be cremated without an inquest into her sudden death.

In the late 1960s Dr Bertram Wainer began a campaign to reform Victoria's anti-abortion laws, claiming they promoted misery, graft and corruption.

The East Kew branch of the Liberal Party showed its dissatisfaction with Rylah's handling of the abortion controversy by challenging (unsuccessfully) his endorsement for the next election.

Sir Arthur Rylah Oval in Kew, Victoria was named in his honour, and plays hosts to sporting matches from local school, Xavier College (Burke Hall Campus).