Geoffrey Eagar
Geoffrey Eagar (17 December 1818 – 12 September 1891) was an accountant and colonial politician and civil servant of the Government of New South Wales, Australia.
Geoffrey Eagar | |
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Personal details | |
Born | Sydney, New South Wales | 17 December 1818
Died | 12 September 1891 72) | (aged
Early life
Eagar was born in Sydney, son of Edward, an emancipated convict who helped found the Bank of New South Wales. Edward left Australia to take a legal battle over the rights of freed convicts to London, and did not return. His mother Jemima then married William Wentworth, and gave birth to a son. In 1843 he married Mary Ann Bucknell, and the couple had a son, Arthur.[1][2]
Public service career
Eagar worked at the Bank of New South Wales from 1854 for around five years before being appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council, the upper house of the state government in 1859. He resigned a year later but in 1863 he was elected to the lower house, representing the seat of West Sydney. He served in the seat twice, from 1863 to 1864 and 1865 to 1869. During this period, he served as Secretary for Public Works from 1858 to 1860 and as Colonial Treasurer from 1863 to 1865 and from 1866 to 1868. After leaving parliament he was appointed head of the New South Wales Treasury from 1872 to 1891.[1][3]
Eagar died at his home in the Sydney suburb of Glebe Point, survived by his wife and three of their four children. He also had a house in the Blue Mountains, opposite Eagar's Platform, now called Valley Heights railway station.[2]
References
- "Geoffrey Eagar (1818 - 1891), Biographical Note". State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
- Lamb, P. N. (1972). "Eagar, Geoffrey (1818 - 1891)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 19 October 2007 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- "Mr Geoffrey Eagar (1818-1891)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- Mennell, Philip (1892). . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by John Dickson |
Respresentative of the Government in the Legislative Council 1859 – 1860 |
Succeeded by John Hargrave |
Preceded by Edward Flood |
Secretary for Public Works 1859 – 1860 |
Succeeded by William Arnold |
Preceded by Thomas Smart |
Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales 1863 – 1865 |
Succeeded by Thomas Smart |
New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
Preceded by William Charles Windeyer |
Member for West Sydney 1863 – 1864 Served alongside: Lang, Dalgleish, Love |
Succeeded by John Darvall |
Preceded by John Darvall |
Member for West Sydney 1864 – 1869 Served alongside: Lang, Robertson/Windeyer, Joseph/Campbell |
Succeeded by John Robertson |
Government offices | ||
Preceded by Henry Lane |
Under Secretary for Finance and Trade 1872 – 1891 |
Succeeded by Francis Kirkpatrick |