Western Wood (Queensland politician)

Western Wood (1830—1878) was a politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

The Hon

Western Wood
Member of the Queensland Legislative Council
In office
26 April 1861 – 20 March 1868
Personal details
Born
Western Wood

(1830-05-22)22 May 1830
London, England
Died17 April 1878(1878-04-17) (aged 47)
Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England
NationalityEnglish Australian
Spouse(s)Lucy Elizabeth Darvall (m.1862 d.1907)
RelationsWestern Wood (father)
OccupationPastoralist, Police magistrate

Early life

Western Wood was born on 22 May 1830 in London, England, the son of Western Wood and his wife Sarah Letitia (née Morris). He attended Eton College.[1]

Wood immigrated to Queensland about 1858, where he engaged unsuccessfully in pastoral and mercantile activities.[1]

On 9 January 1862, Wood married Lucy Elizabeth Darvall, daughter of Fredrick Orme Darvall.[1]

Politics

Western Wood was given a lifetime appointment to the Queensland Legislative Council on 26 April 1861.[2] He resigned from the Council on 20 March 1868 in order to take up an appointment as police magistrate at Port Denison (now known as Bowen).[1][3][4][5]

Later life

Wood's appointment as a police magistrate was short-lived, as he charged with embezzlement in April 1869.[6] In May 1869, the charge of embezzlement was withdrawn and replaced with a charge of having fraudulently appropriated £100 which he had received for the use of the trustees of the Bowen Cemetery.[7] He was dismissed as police magistrate on 22 May 1869.[8] By July 1869, there were further charges in relation to £75 intended for the Kennedy Hospital.[9] A legal dispute then erupted as to whether the case should be dealt with in Bowen or in Rockhampton, which concluded that the case should be dealt with in Rockhampton. Wood strenuously objected to that location and refused to attend the court, resulting in a bench warrant for his arrest. Having been arrested, he was again released on bail.[10] The matter dragged on, until Western Wood fled Queensland in March 1870, claiming he was disgusted at how long it was taking to have the matter resolved.[11]

In November 1875, Wood initiated divorce proceedings against his wife Lucy, naming George Cresswell Crump as a co-respondent.[12] However, there is no evidence that the divorce was awarded.

Western Woods died on 17 April 1878 in Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England.[1]

His widow Lucy married George Cresswell Crump on 7 May 1878 in Brisbane.[13]

References
  1. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  2. "LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL". The Moreton Bay Courier. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 1 May 1861. p. 1. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  3. "Part 2.15 – Alphabetical Register of Members of the Legislative Assembly 1860–2017 and the Legislative Council 1860–1922" (PDF). Queensland Parliamentary Record 2015–2017: The 55th Parliament. Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2014.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. "To the Editor of the Queensland Times". Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald & General Advertiser. National Library of Australia. 21 March 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  5. "THE GAZETTE". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 6 April 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  6. "TELEGRAPHIC". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 22 April 1869. p. 2. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  7. "NOTES OF A VISIT TO YOUNG, GRENFELL, AND FORBES". Empire. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 21 May 1869. p. 4. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  8. "THE GAZETTE". The Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser. Toowoomba, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 26 May 1869. p. 3. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  9. "Local and General News". Warwick Examiner and Times. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 24 July 1869. p. 2. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  10. "Latest by Telegraph". The Queenslander. National Library of Australia. 23 October 1869. p. 2. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  11. "ODD NOTES". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 22 March 1870. p. 2. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  12. "Telegraphic". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 4 November 1875. p. 2. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  13. "Search historical marriage records". Queensland Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
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