Robert Wisdom (politician)
Sir Robert Wisdom, KCMG (31 January 1830 – 16 March 1888) was a politician in colonial New South Wales and Attorney General of New South Wales.[1]
Wisdom was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, and arrived in Australia in 1834 with his parents.[2] He was educated at Maitland, N.S.W., and at the Sydney College, and was admitted to the Colonial Bar in 1861. He became the first member for Goldfields West in 1859, having resigned the office of Gold Commissioner, which he had previously held, to contest the seat.[2] He represented this constituency in the Assembly in two parliaments, the Lower Hunter in two more, and was also member for the Goldfields North. For a short period he was Crown Prosecutor, and afterwards represented Morpeth.[2] He was Chairman of Committees in the Assembly for nearly four years, and was appointed a member of the Council of Education 1878. He was Attorney-General in the Henry Parkes Government from August 1879 to January 1883.[2][3] In 1887 he came to England with Sir Patrick Jennings as one of the delegates of New South Wales, to the Colonial Conference held in that year, and was created K.C.M.G. during the sittings.[2] Returning to New South Wales, Sir Robert was appointed a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council but did not take his seat as he died on 16 March 1888.[1][3]
References
- Guilford, Elizabeth. "Wisdom, Sir Robert (1830–1888)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 4 November 2013 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Mennell, Philip (1892). . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
- "Sir Robert Wisdom KCMG, QC (1830-1888)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
---|---|---|
New seat | Member for Goldfields West 1859–1864 |
Succeeded by Stephen Donnelly |
Preceded by Richard Sadleir |
Member for Lower Hunter 1869–1872 |
Succeeded by Archibald Jacob |
Preceded by James Hoskins |
Member for Goldfields North 1870–1870 |
Succeeded by Robert Forster |
Preceded by James Campbell |
Member for Morpeth 1874–1887 |
Succeeded by John Bowes |