Phillip Blashki
Encyclopedia
Phillip Blashki was a Polish immigrant to Australia
who rose to be a successful businessman, magistrate, J.P.
, holder of many positions of public responsibility and associated with numerous community and charitable events in Melbourne
.
, on 21 February 1837.
After working as a tassell-maker in Manchester he married a young Polish widow, Hannah Potash, and arrived in Melbourne
on the masted ship called the 'Alice Walton' on 1 April 1858. At that time Melbourne was experiencing huge population growth due to the gold rush. See History of Melbourne
.
Phillip Blashki's life was summarised on the center front page of The Herald
, which read in part, "For 39 years, he was a justice of the peace
, and for a lengthy period he was chairman of the City Court Bench... 58 years ago he came to Victoria, and took a leading part in many public affairs. He founded the Melbourne Jewish Aid Society, was a trustee of the Brighton Cemetery
, and a prominent Freemason. He was also one of the founders of the Charity Organisation Society."
Phillip and Hannah had 14 children and now over 500 descendants, mostly in Australia, have been documented.
Phillip Blashki started in Geelong as a hawker and retailer of goods during the gold rush
. In 1868, following a bankrupting theft, he moved to Melbourne with his then 11 children. Around 1875 he opened his city store in Bourke Street Melbourne and grew it into a thriving business making jewelry, Masonic regalia
and significant ceremonial medals and chains. His sons took over the business, 'P. Blashki and Sons', in 1893 which still continues today. Other sons went into the tobacco industry and Phillip and his sons applied for many label trademarks. The family made the first cigar-ettes as a way to make smoking affordable for the masses.
Phillip Blashki was a Justice of the peace
for nearly 40 years and was actively involved in the Victorian judicial system. He was appointed a Magistrate in March 1911 in addition to being a JP for the entire state of Victoria. On 20 January 1914, he was one of Lord Mayor Hennesey's invited dignatories at the opening of the Melbourne City Court at Russell St. and was appointed the first Chairman of the City Court Bench (which became the Melbourne Magistrates Court). As recognition for his work as a J.P., philanthropist and community leader, Blashki was one of the invited guests at the opening of the first federal parliament at the Exhibition Buildings.
Blashki was a council member of the Victorian Chamber of Manufacturers and was instrumental in founding and/or the early development of a number of communal and charitable organizations (including the provision of seed funding in some instances). Whilst still working in Geelong in the 1860's he was active on the new Stephen St. Melbourne branch of the Jewish Philanthropic Society (est.1848). He co-founded the Melbourne Jewish Aid Society in 1888, the Melbourne Cemetery Trust and esteemed president of the Melbourne Freemason's Homes.
in Victoria. Blashki held various offices in several Lodges over a period of 40+ years and was appointed District Grand Warden under the British Constitution.
Phillip Blashki was the first Trustee for the Jewish section of Brighton Cemetery
. He established the Tahara house for Jewish burials and set a precedent for purchasing half sized graves for children. In 1909 he co-founded the Jewish Burial
Society (Chevra Kadisha) in order to cater for Eastern European immigrants, but available for all Jews today.
He was a J.P. for all the bailiwicks of Melbourne and an assessor and Hon. magistrate in Gipps Ward. His success is what led the Attorney General
of Victoria to appoint him as Chairman of the new City Court Bench. Decades after the Corio Bay drowning of his wife Hannah's son Hyman, a good swimmer, his position as Magistrate enabled him to order that the Melbourne City Baths Corporation Swimming Pool would be open free for all children to learn to swim.
The success of the Jewish Aid Society, for which he received the illuminated address pictured, led to the Victorian government establishing a Charity Organisation Society with similar objectives and he remained on their committee for many years. On his 70th birthday another illuminated address signed by thirty solicitors practising in the Russell St.court, was handed to him by the then Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin
.
Blashki was particularly interested in advancing Jewish education. He was first president of the Board of the East Melbourne Hebrew School. This became the United Jewish Education Board, with Victorian Attorney General
Isaac Isaacs
as its president and Phillip Blashki as its treasurer and succeeding president. He also acted as Chairman to the Board of Advice to the Victorian Education Department for the East Melbourne District.
Blashki was a foundation member and a term vice president of the Victorian Employer’s Federation , co-founded the Jewish Herald Association and was on the board of the Benevolent Asylum and the Montefiore Homes.
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...
who rose to be a successful businessman, magistrate, J.P.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, holder of many positions of public responsibility and associated with numerous community and charitable events 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...
.
Youth
Phillip was born Favel Wagczewski in Błaszki, a Polish village near KaliszKalisz
Kalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
, on 21 February 1837.
After working as a tassell-maker in Manchester he married a young Polish widow, Hannah Potash, and arrived 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...
on the masted ship called the 'Alice Walton' on 1 April 1858. At that time Melbourne was experiencing huge population growth due to the gold rush. See History of Melbourne
History of Melbourne
The history of Melbourne details the city's growth from a fledging settlement into a modern commercial and financial centre as Australia's second largest city.-Pre-European settlement:...
.
Phillip Blashki's life was summarised on the center front page of The Herald
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
, which read in part, "For 39 years, he was a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, and for a lengthy period he was chairman of the City Court Bench... 58 years ago he came to Victoria, and took a leading part in many public affairs. He founded the Melbourne Jewish Aid Society, was a trustee of the Brighton Cemetery
Brighton Cemetery
Brighton Cemetery is located in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield South, Victoria, but takes its name from Brighton, Victoria.The Cemetery pre-dates the Caulfield Roads Board - the first official recognition of the suburb of Caulfield. Opened in 1855 it became, together with St. Kilda Cemetery, an...
, and a prominent Freemason. He was also one of the founders of the Charity Organisation Society."
Phillip and Hannah had 14 children and now over 500 descendants, mostly in Australia, have been documented.
Career
Phillip was primarily a silversmith and had a stall at Melbourne's Great Exhibition of 1888. He was also an optician, watch repairer, jeweler and maker of masonic regalia. He produced several notable items of public importance, including Australian cricket's Sheffield Shield commissioned by Lord Sheffield in 1894, He also produced the NSW Cricketers Association's 'Horden Shield'.Phillip Blashki started in Geelong as a hawker and retailer of goods during the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
. In 1868, following a bankrupting theft, he moved to Melbourne with his then 11 children. Around 1875 he opened his city store in Bourke Street Melbourne and grew it into a thriving business making jewelry, Masonic regalia
Regalia
Regalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...
and significant ceremonial medals and chains. His sons took over the business, 'P. Blashki and Sons', in 1893 which still continues today. Other sons went into the tobacco industry and Phillip and his sons applied for many label trademarks. The family made the first cigar-ettes as a way to make smoking affordable for the masses.
Phillip Blashki was a Justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for nearly 40 years and was actively involved in the Victorian judicial system. He was appointed a Magistrate in March 1911 in addition to being a JP for the entire state of Victoria. On 20 January 1914, he was one of Lord Mayor Hennesey's invited dignatories at the opening of the Melbourne City Court at Russell St. and was appointed the first Chairman of the City Court Bench (which became the Melbourne Magistrates Court). As recognition for his work as a J.P., philanthropist and community leader, Blashki was one of the invited guests at the opening of the first federal parliament at the Exhibition Buildings.
Blashki was a council member of the Victorian Chamber of Manufacturers and was instrumental in founding and/or the early development of a number of communal and charitable organizations (including the provision of seed funding in some instances). Whilst still working in Geelong in the 1860's he was active on the new Stephen St. Melbourne branch of the Jewish Philanthropic Society (est.1848). He co-founded the Melbourne Jewish Aid Society in 1888, the Melbourne Cemetery Trust and esteemed president of the Melbourne Freemason's Homes.
Community Work
The name Phiilip Blashki is synonymous with the history of FreemasonryFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
in Victoria. Blashki held various offices in several Lodges over a period of 40+ years and was appointed District Grand Warden under the British Constitution.
Phillip Blashki was the first Trustee for the Jewish section of Brighton Cemetery
Brighton Cemetery
Brighton Cemetery is located in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield South, Victoria, but takes its name from Brighton, Victoria.The Cemetery pre-dates the Caulfield Roads Board - the first official recognition of the suburb of Caulfield. Opened in 1855 it became, together with St. Kilda Cemetery, an...
. He established the Tahara house for Jewish burials and set a precedent for purchasing half sized graves for children. In 1909 he co-founded the Jewish Burial
Bereavement in Judaism
Bereavement in Judaism is a combination of minhag and mitzvah derived from Judaism's classical Torah and rabbinic texts...
Society (Chevra Kadisha) in order to cater for Eastern European immigrants, but available for all Jews today.
He was a J.P. for all the bailiwicks of Melbourne and an assessor and Hon. magistrate in Gipps Ward. His success is what led the Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Victoria to appoint him as Chairman of the new City Court Bench. Decades after the Corio Bay drowning of his wife Hannah's son Hyman, a good swimmer, his position as Magistrate enabled him to order that the Melbourne City Baths Corporation Swimming Pool would be open free for all children to learn to swim.
The success of the Jewish Aid Society, for which he received the illuminated address pictured, led to the Victorian government establishing a Charity Organisation Society with similar objectives and he remained on their committee for many years. On his 70th birthday another illuminated address signed by thirty solicitors practising in the Russell St.court, was handed to him by the then Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
.
Blashki was particularly interested in advancing Jewish education. He was first president of the Board of the East Melbourne Hebrew School. This became the United Jewish Education Board, with Victorian Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Isaac Isaacs
Isaac Isaacs
Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs GCB GCMG KC was an Australian judge and politician, was the third Chief Justice of Australia, ninth Governor-General of Australia and the first born in Australia to occupy that post. He is the only person ever to have held both positions of Chief Justice of Australia and...
as its president and Phillip Blashki as its treasurer and succeeding president. He also acted as Chairman to the Board of Advice to the Victorian Education Department for the East Melbourne District.
Blashki was a foundation member and a term vice president of the Victorian Employer’s Federation , co-founded the Jewish Herald Association and was on the board of the Benevolent Asylum and the Montefiore Homes.