William Clarke (Australian politician)

William Clarke (26 June 1843 – 9 March 1903) was an Australian businessman and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.[1]

Clarke was born in Melbourne, son of William Joseph Sayers Clarke by his marriage with Miss Mary Ann Welsford.[2] William Clarke married Mary Ann Mortimer on 25 June 1862 in Melbourne, later moving to Sydney.[2] Clarke was a Justice of the Peace for the colonies of New South Wales and Victoria, Australia.[2]

On 24 November 1880 Clarke was elected member for Orange in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, until being defeated at the general election in January 1889.[1] Clarke was Minister of Justice in the administration of Sir Henry Parkes, from 20 January 1887 to 10 January 1889.[2] He held important positions in connection with financial institutions in the colonies, and became Managing Director of the London branch of the Standard Bank of Australia. He was a member of the New South Wales Commission in London for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886.[2]

Clarke died on 9 March 1903 in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dunn, F. M. "Clarke, William (1843–1903)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Mennell, Philip (1892). "Wikisource link to Clarke, William". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co. Wikisource
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by
Andrew Kerr
Member for Orange
1880–1889
Served alongside: Andrew Kerr (up to 1882)
Thomas Dalton (from 1882)
Succeeded by
James Torpy