Geoffrey Eagar
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Eagar was an accountant
and Treasurer
of the Government of New South Wales
, Australia
.
Eagar was born in Sydney
, son of Edward
, an emancipated convict
who helped found the Westpac Bank, then known as the Bank of New South Wales. Edward left Australia to take a legal battle over the rights of freed convicts to London, and did not return. His mother Jemima then married William Wentworth
, and gave birth to a son. In 1843 he married Mary Ann Bucknell, and the couple had a son, Arthur.
Eagar worked at the Bank of New South Wales from 1854 for around five years before being appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council
, the upper house of the state government in 1859. He resigned a year later but in 1863 he was elected to the lower house
, representing the seat of West Sydney
. He served in the seat twice, from 1863 to 1864 and 1865 to 1869. During this period, he served as Secretary for Public Works from 1858 to 1860 and as Colonial Treasurer from 1863 to 1865 and from 1866 to 1868. After leaving parliament he was appointed head of the New South Wales Treasury from 1872 to 1891.
Eagar died at his home at in the Sydney suburb of Glebe Point
, survived by his wife and three of their four children. He also had a house in the Blue Mountains, opposite Eagar's Platform, now called Valley Heights railway station
.
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
and Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of the Government of New South Wales
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
, 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...
.
Eagar was born 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...
, son of Edward
Edward Eagar
-Early life:Eagar was born in Killarney, Ireland. His parents were landed gentry so he was well educated. He trained as a solicitor and became an attorney to His Majesty's Courts in Ireland. In 1809 he was charged with forging a bill of exchange, and he was convicted and sentenced to death...
, an emancipated convict
Emancipist
An emancipist was any of the convicts sentenced and transported under the convict system to Australia, who had been given conditional or absolute pardons...
who helped found the Westpac Bank, then known as the Bank of New South Wales. Edward left Australia to take a legal battle over the rights of freed convicts to London, and did not return. His mother Jemima then married William Wentworth
William Wentworth
William Charles Wentworth was an Australian poet, explorer, journalist and politician, and one of the leading figures of early colonial New South Wales...
, and gave birth to a son. In 1843 he married Mary Ann Bucknell, and the couple had a son, Arthur.
Eagar worked at the Bank of New South Wales from 1854 for around five years before being appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
, the upper house of the state government in 1859. He resigned a year later but in 1863 he was elected to the lower house
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...
, representing the seat of West Sydney
Electoral district of West Sydney
West Sydney was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales created in 1859 from part of the electoral district of Sydney, covering the western part of the current Sydney central business district, Ultimo and Pyrmont, bordered by George Street,...
. He served in the seat twice, from 1863 to 1864 and 1865 to 1869. During this period, he served as Secretary for Public Works from 1858 to 1860 and as Colonial Treasurer from 1863 to 1865 and from 1866 to 1868. After leaving parliament he was appointed head of the New South Wales Treasury from 1872 to 1891.
Eagar died at his home at in the Sydney suburb of Glebe Point
Glebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
, survived by his wife and three of their four children. He also had a house in the Blue Mountains, opposite Eagar's Platform, now called Valley Heights railway station
Valley Heights railway station, New South Wales
-Transport links:Blue Mountains Bus Company runs one route via Valley Heights railway station:*Route 690P - between Faulconbridge and Penrith-Neighbouring stations:-External links:* NSW Heritage Office listing: * NSW Heritage Office listing:...
.