George Thornton (Australian)
Encyclopedia
George Thornton was an Australia
n merchant and politician, serving as a Sydney Municipal Council
Alderman, Mayor of Sydney and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
and Legislative Council
.
Thornton was born in Sydney of Samuel Thornton who arrived in Sydney from England in 1814 as a free settler, following his wife who had been transported earlier that year as a punishment for larceny. A magistrate by profession, Thornton served as a director of various financial institutions such as the City Bank Of Sydney. He was elected to the Sydney Municipal Council
in November 1847, and served as mayor in 1853 and 1857. Thornton was elected as a member for Sydney City
from 1858 to 1859. In May 1861 he was apppinted to the Legislative Council when Governor Young
agreed to flood the council in support of John Robertson's land bills
, but this was frustrated when the President of the Council, Sir William Burton
refused to swear in the new members and resigned with others forcing the proproguement of the Council. He represented Goldfields West
in 1867 and 1868. In 1877 he was appointed for life to the Council and was served as the Secretary for Mines and the Representative of Government for a month in 1885.
Thornton died of dysentery in 1901 at Parramatta
, survived by his wife and daughter.
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 merchant and politician, serving as a Sydney Municipal Council
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
Alderman, Mayor of Sydney 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...
and 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...
.
Thornton was born in Sydney of Samuel Thornton who arrived in Sydney from England in 1814 as a free settler, following his wife who had been transported earlier that year as a punishment for larceny. A magistrate by profession, Thornton served as a director of various financial institutions such as the City Bank Of Sydney. He was elected to the Sydney Municipal Council
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
in November 1847, and served as mayor in 1853 and 1857. Thornton was elected as a member for Sydney City
Electoral district of Sydney City
Sydney City was a former electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1856 to 1859, when it was split into the electorates of East Sydney and West Sydney.-Members for Sydney City:...
from 1858 to 1859. In May 1861 he was apppinted to the Legislative Council when Governor Young
John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar
John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar, Bt, GCB, GCMG, PC was the second Governor General of Canada, in office from 1869 to 1872.-Biography:...
agreed to flood the council in support of John Robertson's land bills
Robertson Land Acts
The Crown Lands Acts 1861 were introduced by the New South Wales Premier, John Robertson, in 1861 to reform land holdings and in particular to break the squatters' domination of land tenure...
, but this was frustrated when the President of the Council, Sir William Burton
William Westbrooke Burton
Sir William Westbrooke Burton was a judge and president of the legislative council, New South Wales, .-Early life:...
refused to swear in the new members and resigned with others forcing the proproguement of the Council. He represented Goldfields West
Electoral district of Goldfields West
Goldfields West was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1859 to 1880, including the goldfields within a number of western electorates...
in 1867 and 1868. In 1877 he was appointed for life to the Council and was served as the Secretary for Mines and the Representative of Government for a month in 1885.
Thornton died of dysentery in 1901 at Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, survived by his wife and daughter.