Mr Elias Carpenter WEEKES (1809 - 1881)**

Date of Birth: 13/07/1809 Place of Birth: London, England Date of Death: 05/08/1881 Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Notes Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 9 Apr 1856 10 Nov 1864 8yr(s) 7mth(s) 2day(s) Member of the NSW Legislative Council 24 Oct 1865 24 Nov 1880 15yr(s) 1mth(s) 1day(s) Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 10 July 1865 Member for Northumberland Boroughs 28 Mar 1856 19 Dec 1857 1yr(s) 8mth(s) 22day(s) 1st (1856 - 1857) Member for Cumberland (South Riding) 9 Apr 1856 5 Aug 1856 3mth(s) 28day(s) 1st (1856 - 1857) Member for Northumberland Borough 27 Jan 1858 11 Apr 1859 1yr(s) 2mth(s) 16day(s) 2nd (1858 - 1859) Member for West Maitland 11 Apr 1859 8 Mar 1860 10mth(s) 27day(s) 3rd (1859 - 1860) Member for West Maitland 20 Jun 1859 11 Apr 1859 3rd (1859 - 1860) Member for West Maitland 16 Mar 1860 10 Nov 1860 7mth(s) 26day(s) 3rd (1859 - 1860) Member for West Maitland 18 Dec 1860 10 Nov 1864 3yr(s) 10mth(s) 24day(s) 4th (1860 - 1864) Colonial Treasurer 18 Apr 1859 26 Oct 1859 6mth(s) 9day(s) Colonial Treasurer 9 Mar 1860 20 Mar 1863 3yr(s) 12day(s) Petition of Peter Rawlings Committee No.5 3 Jun 1856 18 Mar 1857 9mths 16days 1st (1856 - 1857) Customs Department Committee No.15 31 Oct 1856 18 Mar 1857 4mths 16days 1st (1856 - 1857) Electric Telegraph Committee No.14 31 Oct 1856 18 Mar 1857 4mths 16days 1st (1856 - 1857) Deepening the River Hunter Committee No.16 4 Nov 1856 18 Mar 1857 4mths 15days 1st (1856 - 1857) Administration of Justice and Conduct of Official Business in Country Districts Committee No.20 11 Nov 1856 18 Mar 1857 4mths 8days 1st (1856 - 1857) Civil Service Superannuation Fund Committee No.19 11 Nov 1856 18 Mar 1857 4mths 8days 1st (1856 - 1857) Liverpool and London Fire and Life Assurance Company’s Bill Committee No.21 18 Nov 1856 18 Mar 1857 4mths 1day 1st (1856 - 1857) Railway Terminus and Wharfs at Newcastle Committee No.25 9 Dec 1856 18 Mar 1857 3mths 10days 1st (1856 - 1857) Alluvial Lands of the Hunter Committee No.27 20 Feb 1857 18 Mar 1857 27days 1st (1856 - 1857) Reclaiming Land, Woolloomooloo Bay Committee 25 Aug 1857 18 Dec 1857 3mths 24days 1st (1856 - 1857) Elections and Qualifications Committee 27 Oct 1857 18 Dec 1857 1mth 22days 1st (1856 - 1857) By Speaker's Warrant Australian Agricultural Company’s Newcastle Railway Bill Committee No.12 30 Oct 1857 18 Dec 1857 1mth 19days 1st (1856 - 1857) Burwood Tramroad Continuation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.14 30 Oct 1857 18 Dec 1857 1mth 19days 1st (1856 - 1857) Alluvial Lands of the Hunter Committee No.13 30 Oct 1857 18 Dec 1857 1mth 19days 1st (1856 - 1857) Australian Gas Company’s Light Bill Committee No.16 13 Nov 1857 18 Dec 1857 1mth 6days 1st (1856 - 1857) Pyrmont Bridge Company’s Bill Committee No.15 13 Nov 1857 18 Dec 1857 1mth 6days 1st (1856 - 1857) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.7 26 Mar 1858 26 Nov 1858 8mths 1day 2nd (1858 - 1859) By Speaker's Warrant Alluvial Lands of the Hunter Committee No.10 16 Apr 1858 26 Nov 1858 7mths 11days 2nd (1858 - 1859) Question of Privilege – Governor General’s Answer to Address on proposed dispatch of Artillery to Indi 16 Apr 1858 26 Nov 1858 7mths 11days 2nd (1858 - 1859) Retrenchment in the Public Expenditure Committee No.11 20 Apr 1858 26 Nov 1858 7mths 7days 2nd (1858 - 1859) Customs Department Committee No.12 20 Apr 1858 26 Nov 1858 7mths 7days 2nd (1858 - 1859) Registration and Preservation of Records Committee No.13 23 Apr 1858 26 Nov 1858 7mths 4days 2nd (1858 - 1859) Pyrmont Bridge Company’s Bill Committee No.19 18 May 1858 26 Nov 1858 6mths 9days 2nd (1858 - 1859) Railway Accident Committee No.28 14 Jul 1858 26 Nov 1858 4mths 13days 2nd (1858 - 1859) Railway to Morpeth Committee No.31 31 Aug 1858 26 Nov 1858 2mths 27days 2nd (1858 - 1859) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.4 9 Dec 1858 9 Apr 1859 4mths 1day 2nd (1858 - 1859) Railway to Morpeth Committee No.7 21 Dec 1858 9 Apr 1859 3mths 20days 2nd (1858 - 1859) Sydney Insurance Company’s Act Amendment Bill Committee No.33 4 Feb 1860 4 Jul 1860 5mths 1day 3rd (1859 - 1860) Chairman Maitland Pasturage Reserve Committee No.34 16 Feb 1860 4 Jul 1860 4mths 19days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Seizure of Opium per “Kate Hooper” Committee No.41 13 Apr 1860 4 Jul 1860 2mths 22days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Petition of Mr N.L Kentish Committee No.4 27 Sep 1860 9 Nov 1860 1mth 14days 3rd (1859 - 1860) West Maitland Church Land Sale Bill Committee No.16 25 Oct 1860 9 Nov 1860 16days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Petition of Mr James Boyle Committee No.17 6 Nov 1860 9 Nov 1860 4days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Petition of Mr N.L Kentish Committee No.7 23 Jan 1861 11 May 1861 3mths 19days 4th (1860 - 1864) Grievances Committee No.13 29 Jan 1861 11 May 1861 3mths 13days 4th (1860 - 1864) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 3 Sep 1861 3 Sep 1861 1day 4th (1860 - 1864) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 27 May 1862 27 May 1862 1day 4th (1860 - 1864) Pilot Board Committee No.9 17 Jun 1862 7 Oct 1862 3mths 21days 4th (1860 - 1864) Customs Bill Committee No.11 26 Jun 1862 20 Dec 1862 5mths 25days 4th (1860 - 1864) Chairman Bonded Distilleries and Sugar Houses Bill Committee No.12 3 Jul 1862 2 Sep 1862 2mths 4th (1860 - 1864) Chairman Standing Orders Committee No.2 24 Jun 1863 10 Dec 1863 5mths 17days 4th (1860 - 1864) Commercial Banking Company’s Act Amendment Bill No.14 11 Aug 1863 14 Aug 1863 4days 4th (1860 - 1864) Tom Dight Mackenzie Committee No.38 1 Apr 1864 21 Apr 1864 21days 4th (1860 - 1864) Standing Orders Committee No.2 19 Oct 1864 9 Nov 1864 22days 4th (1860 - 1864)

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Ironmonger. Worked in commercial occupations in England. Arrived in New South Wales c.1837. Worked for Sydney merchant; acquired Travellers Rest Inn on Murrumbidgee in 1842. In 1844 entered a partnership with John Holdsworth as a wine importer; in 1850 was an ironmonger and wine merchant. By 1855 had formed E.C Weeks & Co., ironmongers with son Charles and a partner in London. Auditor of Bank of New South Wales in 1850s, director in 1863, 1866 until 1868, 1869 until 1875. In 1860s and 1870s was a director and sometime chairman of United Insurance Company Limited and trustee of Savings Bank of New South Wales. In same period was vice president of Australian Library and Literary Institution, also member of Hyde Park Improvement Committee. Involved with Sir Henry Parkes and others in political activity in late 1840s and early 1850s; on committee of Anti-transportation Association in 1850; opposed conservative Constitution Bill in 1853, but did not join Constitution Committee although it claimed him as a member. A leading liberal in conflicts with conservatives in late 1850s and early 1860s.

Local Government Activity

Alderman of the Sydney City Council from 4 November 1850 to 31 December 1853

Personal

Youngest son of John Weekes, assistant master shipwright at Chatham Dockyard, and Elizabeth Orton. Married Margaret Wye in 1830 at London and they had 3 daughters and 2 sons.

Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), Volume 6.

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