Elias Solomon

Elias Solomon (2 September 1839 – 23 May 1909) was an Australian politician based in Fremantle. He was Mayor of Fremantle, MLA of South Fremantle, and the first Member for Fremantle in the Australian House of Representatives.[1]

Contents

11 Early life
22 Career
33 Family
44 References
55 External links

Early life

Solomon was born in London, England to Leah and Moss Solomon and migrated to Australia as a child, living at first in Sydney and then Adelaide. His uncle Emanuel Solomon owned the Queen's Theatre in Adelaide, and Solomon's father Moss was for a short while made manager.[1] The family returned to Sydney until Moss' death in 1849 when Leah again moved to Adelaide and Solomon completed his schooling there.[1]

Career

After finishing school, Solomon joined another of his uncle's business concerns and in 1857 was send to Mauritius to purchase goods.[1] On his return, he worked for the firm of Solomon and Salom in Adelaide, and also Falk and Co. of Melbourne.[1]

At the age of 29 Solomon headed west to Fremantle in Western Australia, arriving on 20 January 1868 aboard Eliza Blanche and initially living in Henry Street. Soon the same year he was joined by two of his nephews and together then formed Solomon & Nephews, Auctioneers and Agents[2] of which Solomon was clerk and auctioneer. This venture was part-financed by his half-brother Judah Moss Solomon (of Melbourne) and brother-in-law Isaac Solomon (of Adelaide).

The weight of conducting business in a depressed economic environment bore on Solomon,[1] and this was not helped by his newphews being active members of Fremantle's Amateur Dramatics Company,[3] performing at the Oddfellows in William Street. He wrote to them in July 1869: "…that you may not be under any misunderstanding with regard to my present dissatisfaction, I will be more explicit. You have taken up time belonging to the firm in Amateur Theatrical matters which, I believe, is acting prejudiciously to the business…"[1]

In 1881 he was elected to the Fremantle City Council. In 1892, he was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly as the member for South Fremantle, where he remained until 1901. In that year, he transferred to federal politics, winning the Australian House of Representatives seat of Fremantle for the Free Trade Party. He was defeated by Labor's William Carpenter in 1903. Solomon died in 1909.[4] Solomon was at one time head of the Fremantle Cemetery board, which is where he is buried.

Family

Solomon was married twice, firstly to Agnes Elizabeth Bickley (c. 1846 – 22 April 1886)[5] and after her death, to Elizabeth Stokes (16 September 1868 – 3 December 1898) on 1 May 1887.[6]

His second wife, with whom he had five[1] children, died on 3 December 1898 aged 30.[7]

Samuel Moss Solomon

c. 1769 – 1842

Moss Solomon

d. 1849

Leah Myers

Emanuel Solomon

1800–1873

Vaiben Solomon

Agnes Elizabeth Bickley

c. 1846 – 1886

Elias Solomon

1839–1909

Elizabeth Stokes

1868–1898

Isabella

Rose

Other children unknown

Wallace Elias Bickley Solomon

1878–1950

Maurice Elias Solomon

1888–1977

3 other children

•Wallace Elias Bickley Solomon (1878–1950) was the first secretary, and honorary solicitor, of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society in 1926.[1]
•Maurice Elias Solomon (1888–1977), lawyer and councillor of the City of Fremantle.[1]

References

1^ Jump up to:
a b c d e f g h i j k Solomon, Coralie (2004). "Elias Solomon, first Federal Member of Parliament for Fremantle: life and letters 1839–1909". Fremantle Studies 3.
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^ "LABOR.". Fremantle Herald (Fremantle, WA). 25 April 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
3Jump up
^ "TOPICS OF THE WEEK.". Fremantle Herald (Fremantle, WA). 26 November 1870. p. 3. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
4Jump up
^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
5Jump up
^ "Family Notices.". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) (Perth, WA: National Library of Australia). 28 April 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
6Jump up
^ "Family Notices.". The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1950) (Perth, WA: National Library of Australia). 3 May 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
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^ "Death of Mrs. Elias Solomon.". Daily News (Perth, Western Australia) (Perth, WA: National Library of Australia). 6 December 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 5 July 2014.