Sir William Clarke, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir William John Clarke, 1st Baronet (31 March 1831 – 17 January 1895) was an Australia
n landowner.
He was born on 31 March 1831 at Lovely Banks, Van Diemen's Land
, the eldest of three sons of William John Turner Clarke, and his wife Eliza, née Dowling.
He was created a baronet
by Queen Victoria - the only Australian-born man to be so honoured. This was in recognition for his many donations, and for his presiding over the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880.
He married Mary Walker in 1860. His son Rupert succeeded him as the 2nd Baronet. The baronetcy of Clarke of Rupertswood is the only active hereditary title in an Australian family.
He is perhaps best known for his possible involvement in the establishment of the Ashes
cricket
trophy.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n landowner.
He was born on 31 March 1831 at Lovely Banks, Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
, the eldest of three sons of William John Turner Clarke, and his wife Eliza, née Dowling.
He was created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
by Queen Victoria - the only Australian-born man to be so honoured. This was in recognition for his many donations, and for his presiding over the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880.
He married Mary Walker in 1860. His son Rupert succeeded him as the 2nd Baronet. The baronetcy of Clarke of Rupertswood is the only active hereditary title in an Australian family.
He is perhaps best known for his possible involvement in the establishment of the Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
trophy.