Samuel Gray (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Samuel William Gray was an Irish Australian
pastoralist, farmer and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for Kiama
(1859–1864), Illawarra
(1874–1880) and The Richmond
(1882–1885).
, Ireland
on 1 January 1823 to James Mackey Gray and Sarah Anna Burton, the first of their five children and their only son. Around 1835, his family moved to New South Wales. There, James bought his brother-in-law's grant of 1280 acres (5.2 km²) of land south of Kiama, naming it "The Omega Retreat". James became a farmer and grazier there, also assisting many Ulster Protestants in migrating to Kiama. He was educated at the Normal Institution in Sydney
. After going to sea in 1859 and to Bendigo during its gold rush, he returned to Kiama, becoming a farmer and grazier. He married Mary Bray on 14 March 1862 at Campbelltown
. They had five daughters and two sons. In the early 1860s, he cleared and improved a large block of land on the Tweed River
. Later, he moved to Sydney, where he had business interests, living there until his death in Woolahra on 19 April 1889. He was buried in the Gerringong Cemetery in Sydney.
On 16 June 1859, Samuel Gray was elected as the member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Kiama, with 70.36 percent of the vote. He was re-elected unopposed in 1860. After leaving office in 1864, he was elected as the member for Illawarra in 1874 with 56.76 percent of the vote and re-elected unopposed in 1877. He left office again in 1880 and was elected by the Richmond in 1882 with 60.39 percent of the vote, a position which he held until 1885, when he did not re-contest.
Irish Australian
Irish Australians have played a long and enduring part in Australia's history. Many came to Australia in the eighteenth century as settlers or as convicts, and contributed to Australia's development in many different areas....
pastoralist, farmer and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
for Kiama
Electoral district of Kiama
Kiama is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Gareth Ward of the Liberal Party of Australia. This electorate is named after the Municipality of Kiama in the Illawarra, which is at the centre...
(1859–1864), Illawarra
Electoral district of Illawarra
Illawarra was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was originally created in 1859, replacing East Camden. It was replaced by Wollongong in 1904 and recreated in 1927. In 1968, it was abolished and partly replaced by Kembla. In 1971,...
(1874–1880) and The Richmond
Electoral district of Richmond (New South Wales)
Richmond was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1880 to 1913 in the Northern Rivers region and named after the Richmond River. It elected two members simultaneously between 1885 and 1889 and three members between 1889 and 1894, with...
(1882–1885).
Biography
Samuel Gray was born in ArmaghArmagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on 1 January 1823 to James Mackey Gray and Sarah Anna Burton, the first of their five children and their only son. Around 1835, his family moved to New South Wales. There, James bought his brother-in-law's grant of 1280 acres (5.2 km²) of land south of Kiama, naming it "The Omega Retreat". James became a farmer and grazier there, also assisting many Ulster Protestants in migrating to Kiama. He was educated at the Normal Institution in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. After going to sea in 1859 and to Bendigo during its gold rush, he returned to Kiama, becoming a farmer and grazier. He married Mary Bray on 14 March 1862 at Campbelltown
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...
. They had five daughters and two sons. In the early 1860s, he cleared and improved a large block of land on the Tweed River
Tweed River (New South Wales)
The Tweed River is a short river in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Its drainage basin consists mostly of the erosion caldera of the Tweed Volcano, a huge extinct volcano of which Mount Warning is the volcanic plug...
. Later, he moved to Sydney, where he had business interests, living there until his death in Woolahra on 19 April 1889. He was buried in the Gerringong Cemetery in Sydney.
On 16 June 1859, Samuel Gray was elected as the member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Kiama, with 70.36 percent of the vote. He was re-elected unopposed in 1860. After leaving office in 1864, he was elected as the member for Illawarra in 1874 with 56.76 percent of the vote and re-elected unopposed in 1877. He left office again in 1880 and was elected by the Richmond in 1882 with 60.39 percent of the vote, a position which he held until 1885, when he did not re-contest.