Frederic Whitcombe
Encyclopedia
Frederic Whitcombe was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
from 1898 to 1900.
Born in Christchurch
, New Zealand on 15 October 1858, Frederic Whitcombe was the son of civil engineer
Henry Whitcombe and Maria née North.
Henry Whitcombe, after whom Whitcombe Pass in the Southern Alps
is named, drowned in 1863 in the Taramakau River
on one of his many West Coast exploration trips. Edward Cephas John Stevens
was put in charge of the fund which allowed the Whitcombe boys to attend Christ’s College. On 20 May 1869, at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Upper Riccarton
, Stevens married Maria Whitcombe. They had two further sons, one of whom died in infancy.
Nothing is known of Frederic Whitcombe's life until 1890, by which time he was practising as a solicitor
at Geraldton
, Western Australia
. On 1 March 1892 he married Alice Mein at Albany
, and they had at least two sons and one daughter. By 1897 he was living at Mount Magnet
.
On 11 May 1898, Whitcombe was elected to a North Province seat in the Western Australian Legislative Council
. However, on 30 November 1900 the Barrister Board struck him off their roll for misappropriation of funds. Three days later he resigned his seat. Nothing further is known of his life, but it is likely that he left Western Australia.
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
from 1898 to 1900.
Born in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand on 15 October 1858, Frederic Whitcombe was the son of civil engineer
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
Henry Whitcombe and Maria née North.
Henry Whitcombe, after whom Whitcombe Pass in the Southern Alps
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the island's western side...
is named, drowned in 1863 in the Taramakau River
Taramakau River
The Taramakau River is in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It rises in the Southern Alps, 80 kilometres due east of Hokitika, and immediately below the saddle of the Harper's Pass, and runs westward for 75 kilometres into the Tasman Sea 15 kilometres south of Greymouth.Several...
on one of his many West Coast exploration trips. Edward Cephas John Stevens
Edward Cephas John Stevens
Edward Cephas John Stevens MLC was a New Zealand politician in provincial government in Canterbury, and a member of both the lower and upper houses of parliament. A businessman, he controlled the Christchurch Press for many decades...
was put in charge of the fund which allowed the Whitcombe boys to attend Christ’s College. On 20 May 1869, at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Upper Riccarton
Upper Riccarton
Upper Riccarton is a suburb of Christchurch. It is due west of Riccarton.Upper Riccarton is made up of residential, retail and education areas. It includes a major intersection known as "Church Corner"...
, Stevens married Maria Whitcombe. They had two further sons, one of whom died in infancy.
Nothing is known of Frederic Whitcombe's life until 1890, by which time he was practising as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
at Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. On 1 March 1892 he married Alice Mein at Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
, and they had at least two sons and one daughter. By 1897 he was living at Mount Magnet
Mount Magnet, Western Australia
Mount Magnet is an old Western Australian gold rush town. The name was chosen during exploration of the region due to an isolated hill 5 km north west of the town current townsite. This hill has an extremely high iron content and affected the compasses of explorers...
.
On 11 May 1898, Whitcombe was elected to a North Province seat in the Western Australian Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
. However, on 30 November 1900 the Barrister Board struck him off their roll for misappropriation of funds. Three days later he resigned his seat. Nothing further is known of his life, but it is likely that he left Western Australia.