Frederic North
Encyclopedia
Frederic Dudley North, CMG (born 9 November 1866, in Earls Court
, Kensington
, London
; died 22 August 1921, in Cottesloe, Western Australia
), was an England-born
Australia
n public servant and cricketer
.
, London
, to Charles Augustus North and Rachel Elizabeth Grant. On his father's side, he was a descendant of the Barons North
. His mother was a daughter of the Scottish artist Sir Francis Grant
. He was educated at Rugby School
in Warwickshire
, playing two matches for the school's cricket team against Marlborough College
, taking 10 wickets.
North emigrated to Perth
, Western Australia
, in 1886, becoming a junior clerk in the Lands Department
in January 1887. On 19 January, 1887, he married Flora Frances Hamersley, the daughter of Edward Hamersley II, a member of the pioneering Hamersley family
, and sister-in-law to John Forrest
. He later had four children with her – two sons and two daughters, including Charles Frederic North
, who later served as the Speaker of the
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
.
, organising the first tour of the Easterns states
by a Western Australian cricket team, in 1893, and serving as the first secretary of the Western Australian Cricket Association
(WACA). In 1943, the Western Mail
described him as "one of the
greatest batsmen who ever played in W.A." He also participated in Western Australia's first two first-class cricket
matches; against South Australia
and Victoria, in March and April of 1893 respectively. North was the top scorer in the first innings of Western Australia's match against South Australia, scoring 25 batting at
#4. In the second innings of Western Australia's match against Victoria, he scored 77 batting at #3, which was Western Australia's first half-century in first-class cricket. He also took 2/14 in Victoria's first innings, dismissing Australian batsman Samuel Morris
. Playing for the Metropolitans Cricket Club in the Western Australian Grade Cricket
competition, North led the First Grade batting aggregates in 1891–92 (243 runs) and 1892–93 (297 runs at an average of 27.00), and the First Grade bowling aggregates in 1887–88 (44 wickets at an average
of 4.06). North also captained the Claremont-Cottesloe Cricket Club.
North also represented Western Australia at tennis, and founded the Sea View Golf Club in Cottesloe in 1909. His former residence, Catlidge, on Forrest Street, designed by architect George Temple-Poole
, served as the first clubhouse.
, John Forrest
, also serving as aide-de-camp
to the Governor of Western Australia
, William Robinson
, from 1894 to 1895. North accompanied Forrest to the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, and represented Western Australia on the committee welcoming the Duke
and Duchess of York
to Australia for the opening of the first Federal Parliament
in Melbourne
.
In 1902, North was appointed head of the Colonial Secretary's Department
, and was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. He served as the president of the Civil Service Association of Western Australia from 1908–11. North was appointed Comptroller-General of Prisons in 1912.
from 1906–1907 and as mayor of the Municipality of Cottesloe
from 1911–1916.
Earls Court
Earls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; died 22 August 1921, in Cottesloe, 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...
), was an England-born
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Australia
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 public servant and cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
.
Early life
North was born on 9 November 1866, in KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to Charles Augustus North and Rachel Elizabeth Grant. On his father's side, he was a descendant of the Barons North
Baron North
Baron North, of Kirtling Tower in the County of Cambridge, is an abeyant title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 17 January 1554, for Sir Edward North. He was a successful lawyer, clerk of the Parliament and chancellor of the Court of Augmentations. The barony was created by writ, which...
. His mother was a daughter of the Scottish artist Sir Francis Grant
Francis Grant (artist)
Sir Francis Grant, RA , was a Scottish portrait painter, who painted Queen Victoria and many distinguished British aristocratic and political figures of the day...
. He was educated at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, playing two matches for the school's cricket team against Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
, taking 10 wickets.
North emigrated to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, 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...
, in 1886, becoming a junior clerk in the Lands Department
Department of Lands and Surveys, Western Australia
Department of Lands and Surveys, Western AustraliaThe Survey Office of Western Australia commenced as early as 1829, making the succeeding agency - the Department of Lands and Surveys one of the oldest government agencies of Western Australia...
in January 1887. On 19 January, 1887, he married Flora Frances Hamersley, the daughter of Edward Hamersley II, a member of the pioneering Hamersley family
Hamersley family
The Hamersley family were a wealthy and well-connected family of early settlers in the colony of Western Australia. Members of the Hamersley family emigrated to Western Australia from England in 1837.Prominent members and connections of the family include:...
, and sister-in-law to John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
. He later had four children with her – two sons and two daughters, including Charles Frederic North
Charles North (politician)
Charles Frederic NorthBurke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition give his full name as "Charles Frederick John North", but most contemporary sources use "Charles Frederic". was an Australian soldier, lawyer and politician...
, who later served as the Speaker of the
Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889...
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
.
Sporting career
North was a pioneer of cricket in Western AustraliaCricket in Western Australia
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in Western Australia. The governing body of the game in WA is the Western Australian Cricket Association...
, organising the first tour of the Easterns states
Eastern states of Australia
In Australia, the term eastern states refers to the states adjoining the east coast of Australia. These are the mainland states of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. The Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory, while not states, are also included. The term usually includes the...
by a Western Australian cricket team, in 1893, and serving as the first secretary of the Western Australian Cricket Association
Western Australian Cricket Association
The Western Australian Cricket Association is the governing body for cricket in Western Australia.-History:The WACA was formed on 5 November 1885...
(WACA). In 1943, the Western Mail
Western Mail (Western Australia)
The Western Mail, or Western Mail, was the name of two weekly newspapers published in Perth, Western Australia.-West Australian newspapers:...
described him as "one of the
greatest batsmen who ever played in W.A." He also participated in Western Australia's first two first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches; against South Australia
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
and Victoria, in March and April of 1893 respectively. North was the top scorer in the first innings of Western Australia's match against South Australia, scoring 25 batting at
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
#4. In the second innings of Western Australia's match against Victoria, he scored 77 batting at #3, which was Western Australia's first half-century in first-class cricket. He also took 2/14 in Victoria's first innings, dismissing Australian batsman Samuel Morris
Samuel Morris
Samuel Morris was an Australian cricketer who played in 1 Test in 1885. He was the first black man to represent Australia and, apart from Andrew Symonds, is the only player of West Indian heritage to do so.Morris was one of nine Australian Test players to make his debut in the Second Test of the...
. Playing for the Metropolitans Cricket Club in the Western Australian Grade Cricket
Western Australian Grade Cricket
Grade Cricket in Western Australia refers to the semi-professional cricket league played at a level below the first-class Western Warriors and colts teams. The competition is administered by the Western Australian Cricket Association...
competition, North led the First Grade batting aggregates in 1891–92 (243 runs) and 1892–93 (297 runs at an average of 27.00), and the First Grade bowling aggregates in 1887–88 (44 wickets at an average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 4.06). North also captained the Claremont-Cottesloe Cricket Club.
North also represented Western Australia at tennis, and founded the Sea View Golf Club in Cottesloe in 1909. His former residence, Catlidge, on Forrest Street, designed by architect George Temple-Poole
George Temple-Poole
George Thomas Temple-Poole was a British architect and public servant, primarily known for his work in Western Australia from 1886....
, served as the first clubhouse.
Civil service
In 1891, North was appointed clerk of the Executive Council of Western Australia. He served as secretary to the Premier of Western AustraliaPremier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
, John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
, also serving as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Governor of Western Australia
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
, William Robinson
William Cleaver Francis Robinson
Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson GCMG was a British colonial administrator and a musical composer, being the author of several well known songs...
, from 1894 to 1895. North accompanied Forrest to the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, and represented Western Australia on the committee welcoming the Duke
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Duchess of York
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
to Australia for the opening of the first Federal Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
In 1902, North was appointed head of the Colonial Secretary's Department
Colonial Secretary of Western Australia
The Colonial Secretary of Western Australia was one of the most important and powerful public offices in Western Australia, in the time when Western Australia was a British colony. The Colonial Secretary was the representative of the British Colonial Office in Western Australia, and was usually...
, and was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. He served as the president of the Civil Service Association of Western Australia from 1908–11. North was appointed Comptroller-General of Prisons in 1912.
Local government
North served as the chairman of the Cottesloe Road DistrictTown of Cottesloe
The Town of Cottesloe is a local government area and a suburb of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Cottesloe is located west of Perth's central business district, covers an area of , maintains 45.7 km of roads and has a population of 7,256 ....
from 1906–1907 and as mayor of the Municipality of Cottesloe
Town of Cottesloe
The Town of Cottesloe is a local government area and a suburb of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Cottesloe is located west of Perth's central business district, covers an area of , maintains 45.7 km of roads and has a population of 7,256 ....
from 1911–1916.