George Levey

George Collins Levey C.M.G. (13 April 1835 - 13 April 1919),^[1] was an Australian politician and newspaper owner.

Early life

Levey was the son of George Levey, of Camberwell Grove, Surrey, and Great New Street, E.C.. G. C. Levey was born in London^[1] and educated at University College, London.^[2]

Career

Levey arrived in Australia in 1851, and was for a short time in the Government service of Victoria as clerk to the Gold Receiver, but subsequently embarked in mining pursuits, and was the first to employ machinery for quartz crushing. He afterwards wrote for the Melbourne press, and travelled over the, continent of Europe from 1859 to 1861, contributing to English newspapers. He sat for Normanby in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1861 to 1867, and was editor and proprietor of the Herald from 1863 to 1868. This paper he issued at a penny, and thus founded cheap journalism in Australia. From 1868 he was connected as editor or contributor with the Melbourne Age.^[2]

Levey was Secretary to the Commissioners of Victoria at the Exhibitions of New South Wales (1870), Melbourne (1872, 1875, and 1880-81), London and Vienna (1873), and Philadelphia (1876), and Acting Executive Commissioner at the Paris Exhibition in 1878 (C.M.G. and Legion of Honour), and Executive Commissioner at Amsterdam Exhibition in 1883, also Executive Commissioner at the International Exhibition held at the Crystal Palace in 1884. Mr. Levey successfully visited the European countries and the United States of America, with the view to induce their Governments to send representatives to the Melbourne International Exhibition. He was Secretary of the London Committee for the Adelaide Jubilee Exhibition, and has contributed largely to the Melbourne, London, Philadelphia, New York and Paris press, and written various important official reports. He visited South America in 1889, and on his return wrote a "Handy Guide to the River Plate", and later published a "Handy Guide to Australia". He also edited Hutchinson's "Australasian Encyclopædia" (1892).^[2]

Family

Levey married first, in 1863, Euphemia Dalton, daughter of Charles Whybrow Ligar, Surveyor-General of Victoria; and, secondly, in 1877, Mary Elizabeth, daughter of George Parker, of Washington, U.S.A., and widow of the Hon. John Edward Bouligny, member of Congress for New Orleans, Louisiana.^[2]

References