Richard Windeyer

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Richard Windeyer (10 August 1806 – 2 December 1847) was an barrister and Australian politician.

Contents 1 Background 2 Early life 3 Parliamentary career 4 Death 5 References

[edit] Background

Windeyer was the son of Charles Windeyer (1780-1855), first recognized reporter in the House of Lords. The elder Windeyer went to Sydney in 1828, intending to go on the land, and obtained a grant of 2,560 acres (10.4 km²). He, however, accepted the position of chief clerk in the police office and afterwards became a police magistrate at Sydney. In 1841 he was offered and refused the office of sheriff, which carried a salary of £1,000 a year and allowances for expenses when absent from Sydney. Two years later he was an unsuccessful candidate at the first election for the New South Wales Legislative Council, and he retired from his magistracy at the end of 1848 with a pension. His work was spoken of in the highest terms. He died in 1855. In 1805 he married Ann Mary, daughter of R. Rudd, and Richard Windeyer was the eldest of their nine children.^[1]

[edit] Early life

Richard Windeyer was born in London and like his father became a parliamentary reporter, and was employed on The Times and other leading papers. In 1832 he married Maria Camfield and their only child, William Charles, was born on 29 September 1834. Taking up the study of law he was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1834, and in the following year went to Sydney where he built up a large practice as a barrister. By 1840 he was one of the leaders at the bar and had made a reputation especially in nisi prius work. In 1838 he bought land in the Hunter valley, and by 1842 he held about 30,000 acres (120 km²) and spent large amounts on draining extensive swamp lands in the vicinity of Grahamstown (near Raymond Terrace and building a homestead at Tomago. He planted thirty acres (12 ha) of vines and made his first wine in 1845. He also raised cattle, horses and pigs and experimented with sugar-cane and wheat.^[1][2]

[edit] Parliamentary career

At the first election for the New South Wales Legislative Council held in July 1843 Windeyer was elected for the county of Durham^[3] and promptly brought in a measure, the Monetary Confidence Bill, which was designed to relieve the depression under which the colony was then suffering. In spite of brilliant speeches in opposition to it made by Robert Lowe this was carried by 14 votes to seven. The measure was, however, vetoed by the governor, Sir George Gipps, and nothing more was heard of it.^[1] Windeyer supported free trade and worked to remove duties on the export of New South Wales tobacco to Van Diemen's Land and wheat to the United Kingdom, but supported an import duty of 1s. a bushel on foreign wheat on the basis that it would be a revenue not a protective duty.^[2]

In October 1844 Windeyer moved an amendment to a Bill proposing to bring in Lord Stanley's system of national education, to the effect that a general system of education should be established by which the children of the poorer classes might receive gratuitously (if possible) primary and religious instruction and to allow government aid for denominational schools in some circumstances. Another amendment proposed by William Wentworth was, however, carried. In 1845 Windeyer, though almost overwhelmed with work, took up the cause of the already fast-dwindling aborigines and obtained a select committee to inquire into the question. He was also in the forefront of the struggle with Gipps concerning generally the powers of the council and the governor on the land question, and in 1846 moved and carried an address to the governor acquainting him that the council could not entertain a Bill he had originated.^[1] Windeyer promoted a Libel Act passed 1847, that required that publication of libel could only be justified if it was both true and in the public interest.^[2]

[edit] Death

Windeyer had, however, become financially involved in the long-continued depression, and although he had made a large income at the bar, was obliged to assign his estate. His death occurred on 2 December 1847 while on a visit to friends at Launceston, Tasmania, the result of anxiety and overwork and an internal disease.^[1][2]

Windeyer had a great reputation at the bar as an advocate of much power and ability, and during his short career in parliament showed himself to be a strong and conscientious man. He was a great advocate for representative government and when he died Wentworth declared he "had lost his right hand man". His early death robbed Australia of a man who might have done his country much service, and reached almost any position in it.^[1]

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain 1949 edition of Dictionary of Australian Biography from Project Gutenberg of Australia, which is in the public domain in Australia and the United States of America.

Persondata
NAME	Windeyer, Richard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	barrister and Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH	10 August 1806
PLACE OF BIRTH	London, England
DATE OF DEATH	2 December 1847
PLACE OF DEATH	Launceston, Tasmania