John Lewis (Australian politician)
John Lewis CMG | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 February 1844 |
| Died | 25 August 1923 (aged 79) |
| Spouse(s) | Martha Anne Brook and Florence Margaret Toll (nee Mortlock) |
| Relations | Sandy Lewis and Tom Lewis (grandsons) William Ranson Mortlock (second father-in-law) |
| Children | 6, including Essington Lewis (1881–1961) |
| Parent(s) | James Lewis (1813–1891) and Eliza Margaret Hutton Lewis (1825–1906) (nee Bristow)[1] |
John Lewis (12 February 1844 – 25 August 1923) was an Australian pastoralist and politician. He was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 1898 to 1923, representing the Northern District (1898-1902) and North-Eastern District (1902-1923). He was the father of Essington Lewis.
Biography
John Lewis was born on 12 February 1844 in Brighton, South Australia,[2] the son of James Lewis, who had been a member of the original party, under William Light, which surveyed the City of Adelaide, and had accompanied Charles Sturt on his 1844 expedition down the Murray.
He left school at the age of twelve to work on his father's farm in Richmond, leaving him two years later to work as a sheep drover and in other occupations.[3] From 1867 to 1885, he was employed as Liston, Shakes and Co.'s agent in Burra. In 1871, he made a trip to the Northern Territory with his brother James to secure a property on behalf of George McLachlan. He set down details of this trip in his autobiography Fought and Won.[3]
He returned to Adelaide in 1876, when he married and settled in Burra. He joined William Liston (ca.1840–1901)[4] and James Shakes in their stock and station agency, and acted as their agent in Burra from 1876 to 1885 when Liston resigned and the company operated as Lewis & Shakes until 1888 when they joined with George W. Bagot as Bagot, Shakes & Lewis. The company absorbed Luxmoore, Dowling & Jeffrey in May 1906. About the same time Lewis left Burra for Adelaide, moving into the imposing residence 'Benacre' in Glen Osmond, built for William Bickford. He acquired various pastoral properties in South Australia: Dalhousie Springs, Witchelina, Mount Nor'-West, Ediacara, Nappa Merrie, Coronga Peak, and Newcastle Waters, many in conjunction with Sir Thomas Elder. When his joint managing George Wallwall Bagot died on 8 July 1919, Lewis stood down, leaving his son Lancelot Ashley Lewis and George Jeffrey to be appointed by the committee as their replacements.[5]
Bagot, Shakes & Lewis was absorbed by Goldsbrough Mort & Co. in 1924.
Politics
In 1897 he stood as candidate for the North-Eastern district in the Legislative Council and was successful; in 1902 he was a successful candidate for the Northern seat, and held it until 1923.[6]
Other interests
Lewis was a member of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia and for seven years its president.
He was vice-president of the Royal Society of St. George,[7] an active member of the Pastoralists' Association, the Aborigines' Friends' Association, the Horticultural and Floricultural Society, the South Australian Soldiers Fund, and the Adelaide Children's Hospital.[8]
Family
Lewis married Martha Anne Brook (c. 1847 – 3 July 1894) on 18 September 1876. He married again on 5 July 1907 to widow Florence Margaret Toll ( – 23 February 1941), the youngest daughter of William Ranson Mortlock.[9]
Recognition
Lewis was awarded the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in January 1923.
Death and legacy
Lewis died on 25 August 1923 in the Adelaide suburb of Glen Osmond.[2]
The John Lewis Medal ("for Exploration" / "for Geographical Research" / for "Literary Work in Geography") was established in 1947 by the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia and continues to be awarded as of 2025. Gold Medallists receive a medal, a certificate, and a citation.[10] It is also known as the Lewis Gold Medal. The John Lewis Silver Medal is awarded to a higher-degree student at a South Australian university "who has made a significant theoretical or empirical contribution to geography".[11]
Bibliography
- Lewis, John (1844–1923) Fought and Won first published in Adelaide by W.K. Thomas & Co., 1922.
- (facsimile edition) Adelaide; Printed by Gillingham Printers, 1985. ISBN 0959008713
References
- ^ "Obituary". Burra Record. Vol. VX, no. 734. South Australia. 11 July 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 7 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b Cohn, Helen (31 March 2025). "Lewis, John (1844-1923)". Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation. Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ a b Walsh, Kay & Wooton, Joy W. Australian Autobiographical Narratives: Vol 2; 1850-1900 National Library of Australia, 1998 ISBN 0 642 10794 7
- ^ "Death of Mr. W. Liston". Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878–1951). 16 August 1901. p. 2. Retrieved 15 October 2014 – via Trove.
- ^ "Death of Mr George Jeffrey". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 27 April 1942. p. 7. Retrieved 4 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "John Lewis CMG". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ "Sturdy Englishman". The News. 25 August 1923. p. 1. Retrieved 5 May 2023 – via Trove.
- ^ "Passing of Pioneer Pastoralist". The News. 25 August 1923. p. 1. Retrieved 15 October 2014 – via Trove.
- ^ Kearns, R. H. B. (1986). "Lewis, John (1844–1923)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 10. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
- ^ "The John Lewis Gold Medal for Exploration / Geographical Research / Literary Work in Geography". The Royal Geographical Society of South Australia. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ Cohn, Helen (31 October 2024). "John Lewis Gold Medal". Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation. Retrieved 29 June 2025.