Thomas Clarke | |
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Member of the
New South Wales Parliament for Darlington | |
In office 27 July 1898 – 11 June 1901 | |
Preceded by | William Schey |
Succeeded by | Phillip Sullivan |
Mayor of Redfern | |
In office 12 February 1890 – 12 February 1891 | |
Preceded by | John Crowe |
Succeeded by | John Beveridge |
In office 13 October 1898 – 7 February 1900 | |
Preceded by | Edwin Berry |
Succeeded by | Henry Vernon |
Alderman on the Redfern Municipal Council | |
In office February 1887 – February 1906 | |
Constituency | Golden Grove Ward |
Personal details | |
Born | 1846 County Fermanagh, Ireland, United Kingdom |
Died | 28 December 1922 Hazelbrook, New South Wales, Australia |
Political party |
Free Trade Party Liberal Reform Party |
Thomas Clarke JP (1846 – 28 December 1922) was an Australian politician and businessman who served several terms as Mayor of Redfern.
Clark was born to a Methodist family in 1846 in County Fermanagh, Ireland, and emigrated to the Colony of New South Wales in 1861. He commenced business as a commercial agent and produce merchant in Sydney and entered politics when he was elected as an Alderman on the first Broughton Vale Municipal Council on 19 June 1871. [1] [2]
Clarke was first elected to serve on Redfern Municipal Council in February 1887 for Golden Grove Ward. [3] He rose to become mayor on two occasions, from February 1890 to February 1891 and from October 1898 to February 1900. [4] [5] [6]
Clarke first stood for the NSW Parliament at the 1895 election as a Free Trade candidate for Darlington, but was unsuccessful. [7] He was eventually elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Darlington in 1898 as a Free Trader, and sat after federation as a member of the Liberal Reform Party. However he was defeated at the following election in 1901. [8] [9] Clarke continued to serve on Redfern Council until his retirement in February 1906. [10] For thirty-five years, Clarke operated as a commission agent on Sussex Street, Sydney, but retired owing to ill health a few years before his death. [11] In 1902 The Catholic Press reported that Clarke had been elected a vice-president of the Orange Order in Sydney, noting: "Can any of our readers inform us whether this is the same Tom Clarke, potato-seller, of Sussex-street, whom many Catholics of Golden Grove helped to return to Parliament a few years ago? If so, what do his old Catholic supporters and fellow-aldermen think of the Christian gratitude of Alderman T. Clarke?." [12]
He died at his residence, 'The Willows' (which he had owned since at least 1907 and after 1914 joint-owned with his brother Sydney), [13] in Hazelbrook on 28 December 1922 aged 74, with his obituary noting that he "was a popular figure in Redfern, in the affairs of which he always took a deep and active interest." [14] Survived by his wife, Susanna Robinson (d. 1924), [15] he was buried in the family plot at Lawson Cemetery alongside his son Sydney Charles Adam Clarke (1881–1922) who had predeceased him by two months.
Thomas Clarke | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Member of the
New South Wales Parliament for Darlington | |
In office 27 July 1898 – 11 June 1901 | |
Preceded by | William Schey |
Succeeded by | Phillip Sullivan |
Mayor of Redfern | |
In office 12 February 1890 – 12 February 1891 | |
Preceded by | John Crowe |
Succeeded by | John Beveridge |
In office 13 October 1898 – 7 February 1900 | |
Preceded by | Edwin Berry |
Succeeded by | Henry Vernon |
Alderman on the Redfern Municipal Council | |
In office February 1887 – February 1906 | |
Constituency | Golden Grove Ward |
Personal details | |
Born | 1846 County Fermanagh, Ireland, United Kingdom |
Died | 28 December 1922 Hazelbrook, New South Wales, Australia |
Political party |
Free Trade Party Liberal Reform Party |
Thomas Clarke JP (1846 – 28 December 1922) was an Australian politician and businessman who served several terms as Mayor of Redfern.
Clark was born to a Methodist family in 1846 in County Fermanagh, Ireland, and emigrated to the Colony of New South Wales in 1861. He commenced business as a commercial agent and produce merchant in Sydney and entered politics when he was elected as an Alderman on the first Broughton Vale Municipal Council on 19 June 1871. [1] [2]
Clarke was first elected to serve on Redfern Municipal Council in February 1887 for Golden Grove Ward. [3] He rose to become mayor on two occasions, from February 1890 to February 1891 and from October 1898 to February 1900. [4] [5] [6]
Clarke first stood for the NSW Parliament at the 1895 election as a Free Trade candidate for Darlington, but was unsuccessful. [7] He was eventually elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Darlington in 1898 as a Free Trader, and sat after federation as a member of the Liberal Reform Party. However he was defeated at the following election in 1901. [8] [9] Clarke continued to serve on Redfern Council until his retirement in February 1906. [10] For thirty-five years, Clarke operated as a commission agent on Sussex Street, Sydney, but retired owing to ill health a few years before his death. [11] In 1902 The Catholic Press reported that Clarke had been elected a vice-president of the Orange Order in Sydney, noting: "Can any of our readers inform us whether this is the same Tom Clarke, potato-seller, of Sussex-street, whom many Catholics of Golden Grove helped to return to Parliament a few years ago? If so, what do his old Catholic supporters and fellow-aldermen think of the Christian gratitude of Alderman T. Clarke?." [12]
He died at his residence, 'The Willows' (which he had owned since at least 1907 and after 1914 joint-owned with his brother Sydney), [13] in Hazelbrook on 28 December 1922 aged 74, with his obituary noting that he "was a popular figure in Redfern, in the affairs of which he always took a deep and active interest." [14] Survived by his wife, Susanna Robinson (d. 1924), [15] he was buried in the family plot at Lawson Cemetery alongside his son Sydney Charles Adam Clarke (1881–1922) who had predeceased him by two months.