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Sir George Wigram ALLEN (1824 - 1885)

  • Date of Birth: 16/05/1824
  • Place of Birth: Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
  • Date of Death: 23/07/1885
  • Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Parliament Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council6 Jun 186013 May 186111mth(s) 8day(s)First (Quinquennial) Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 25 May 1860.
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly11 Dec 186914 Aug 188313yrs 8mths 4days5th (1865 - 1869)
6th (1870 - 1872)
7th (1872 - 1874)
8th (1875 - 1877)
9th (1877 - 1880)
10th (1880 - 1882)
11th (1882 - 1885)
Member for Glebe11 Dec 18693 Feb 18722yr(s) 1mth(s) 24day(s)6th (1870 - 1872)
Member for Glebe19 Dec 18729 Dec 187311mth(s) 21day(s)7th (1872 - 1874)
Member for Glebe17 Dec 187328 Nov 187411mth(s) 12day(s)7th (1872 - 1874)
Member for Glebe11 Dec 187412 Oct 18772yr(s) 10mth(s) 2day(s)8th (1875 - 1877)
Member for Glebe29 Oct 18779 Nov 18803yr(s) 12day(s)9th (1877 - 1880)
Member for Glebe18 Nov 188026 Nov 18822yr(s) 9day(s)10th (1880 - 1882)
Member for Glebe1 Dec 188214 Aug 18838mth(s) 14day(s)11th (1882 - 1885)
Minister of Justice and Public Instruction9 Dec 18738 Feb 18751yr(s) 2mth(s)
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly23 Mar 187523 Nov 18827yr(s) 8mth(s) 1day(s)
Public Vehicles and Boats Committee No.68 Feb 187029 Apr 18702mths 22days6th (1870 - 1872)
George Swinnerton Yarnton Committee No.131 Mar 187023 Mar 187023days6th (1870 - 1872)
Water Supply – Sydney and Suburbs Committee No.238 Apr 18703 May 187026days6th (1870 - 1872)
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.511 Aug 18703 Nov 18702mths 24days6th (1870 - 1872)
Government Printing Office Committee No.913 Sep 18704 May 18717mths 22days6th (1870 - 1872)
Camperdown Cemetery Trust Bill Committee No.1721 Feb 18712 Mar 187110days6th (1870 - 1872)
St Andrew’s Parsonage Sale Bill Committee No.1822 Feb 18717 Mar 187114days6th (1870 - 1872)Chairman
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.114 Nov 187114 Nov 18711day6th (1870 - 1872)
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.514 Nov 18711 Feb 18722mths 19days6th (1870 - 1872)
Library Committee No.215 Nov 18711 Feb 18722mths 18days6th (1870 - 1872)
The Civil Service Committee No.621 Nov 18711 Feb 18722mths 12days6th (1870 - 1872)
Parramatta Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.87 Dec 187114 Dec 18718days6th (1870 - 1872)
Loder’s Estate Bill Committee No.98 Dec 18711 Feb 18721mth 25days6th (1870 - 1872)
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.22 May 187210 Jul 18722mths 9days6th (1870 - 1872)
Standing Orders Committee No.412 Jun 187213 Aug 18722mths 2days6th (1870 - 1872)
Library Committee No.312 Jun 187213 Aug 18722mths 2days6th (1870 - 1872)
Parramatta Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.614 Jun 187220 Jun 18727days6th (1870 - 1872)
Bathurst Gas Bill Committee No.714 Jun 187221 Jun 18728days6th (1870 - 1872)
The Petersham Church Grant Bill Committee No.820 Jun 187225 Jul 18721mth 6days6th (1870 - 1872)
Loder’s Estate Bill Committee No.925 Jun 187211 Jul 187217days6th (1870 - 1872)
The Civil Service Committee No.1630 Jul 18722 Aug 18724days6th (1870 - 1872)
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.15 Nov 18725 Nov 18721day6th (1870 - 1872)
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.25 Nov 187225 Apr 18735mths 21days7th (1872 - 1874)
Library Committee No.36 Nov 187225 Apr 18735mths 20days7th (1872 - 1874)
Standing Orders Committee No.46 Nov 187225 Apr 18735mths 20days7th (1872 - 1874)
Wharf Accommodation, Sydney Harbour Committee No.713 Nov 187224 Apr 18735mths 12days7th (1872 - 1874)
Loder’s Estate Bill Committee No.814 Nov 187212 Dec 187229days6th (1870 - 1872)
Petersham Church Grant Bill Committee No.914 Nov 187215 Jan 18732mths 2days7th (1872 - 1874)Chairman
Patents Committee No.1019 Nov 187214 Mar 18733mths 24days7th (1872 - 1874)
Underwood’s Estate Bill Committee No.214 Feb 187325 Mar 18731mth 22days7th (1872 - 1874)
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.611 Sep 187324 Jun 18749mths 14days7th (1872 - 1874)
The Sydney Museum Committee No.2724 Feb 187418 May 18742mths 25days7th (1872 - 1874)
Wharf Accommodation, Sydney Harbour Committee No.3029 Apr 187425 Jun 18741mth 28days7th (1872 - 1874)
Standing Orders Committee No.34 Nov 187426 Nov 187423days7th (1872 - 1874)
Library Committee No.24 Nov 187426 Nov 187423days7th (1872 - 1874)
Letter addressed to M.M Rochefort and Grousset Committee No.55 Nov 187426 Nov 187422days7th (1872 - 1874)
Standing Orders Committee No.431 Mar 187511 Aug 18754mths 12days8th (1875 - 1877)Chairman
Library Committee No.218 Nov 187522 Aug 18769mths 5days8th (1875 - 1877)
Refreshment Room No.418 Nov 187522 Aug 18769mths 5days8th (1875 - 1877)
Standing Orders Committee No.318 Nov 187522 Aug 18769mths 5days8th (1875 - 1877)
Library Committee No.214 Dec 187611 Oct 18779mths 28days8th (1875 - 1877)
Standing Orders Committee No.314 Dec 187611 Oct 18779mths 28days8th (1875 - 1877)
Refreshment Room No.630 Jan 187821 May 18783mths 22days9th (1877 - 1880)
Library Committee No.430 Jan 187821 May 18783mths 22days9th (1877 - 1880)
Standing Orders Committee No.530 Jan 187821 May 18783mths 22days9th (1877 - 1880)
Refreshment Room No.411 Sep 187824 Jul 187910mths 14days9th (1877 - 1880)Chairman
Standing Orders Committee No.311 Sep 187824 Jul 187910mths 14days9th (1877 - 1880)
Library Committee No.211 Sep 187824 Jul 187910mths 14days9th (1877 - 1880)
Refreshment Room No.429 Oct 187913 Jul 18808mths 15days9th (1877 - 1880)
Library Committee No.229 Oct 187913 Jul 18808mths 15days9th (1877 - 1880)
Standing Orders Committee No.329 Oct 187913 Jul 18808mths 15days9th (1877 - 1880)
Standing Orders Committee No.317 Dec 18806 Apr 18813mths 21days10th (1880 - 1882)
Library Committee No.217 Dec 18806 Apr 18813mths 21days10th (1880 - 1882)
Standing Orders Committee No.46 Jul 188129 Jul 188124days10th (1880 - 1882)
Library Committee No.36 Jul 188120 Dec 18815mths 15days10th (1880 - 1882)
Standing Orders Committee No.330 Aug 188221 Nov 18822mths 23days10th (1880 - 1882)
Library Committee No.230 Aug 188221 Nov 18822mths 23days10th (1880 - 1882)
Library Committee No.218 Jan 18832 May 18833mths 15days11th (1882 - 1885)
Earnshaw’s Estate Bill Committee No.179 Mar 188316 Mar 18838days11th (1882 - 1885)Chairman
Cohen’s Estate Bill Committee No.1830 Mar 18834 Apr 18836days11th (1882 - 1885)

Community Activity

Commissioner of National Education 1853 - 1867; member Council of Education 1873; trustee Sydney Grammar School 1859; member Sydney University Senate 1878 - 1885; benefactor of educational institutions. Associated with Church Missionary Society and British and Foreign Bible Society; President of latter at death. President of Law Institute of New South Wales 1870. Vice-president of Royal Commissions on international exhibitions Sydney 1879, Melbourne 1880.


Qualifications, occupations and interests

Lawyer (solicitor). Educated in W.T. Cape's School and Sydney College. Articled to father 1841; admitted solicitor 1846; partner with father 1847; senior partner when father retired 1855. Director of companies engaged in steam, mining and commercial ventures, insurance firms and building societies, including Bank of New South Wales and Australia Gaslight Company.


Honours Received

Knighted 1877; Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) 1884.


Local Government Activity

Alderman of the Municipal Council of The Glebe 1859 - 1877. Mayor 1859 - 1877; first mayor.


Personal

Eldest son of George Allen (a Member of the first Legislative Council to 1856; and a Member of the Legislative Council after Responsible Government), solicitor, and his wife Jane Bowden; Married Marian in July 1851 and had issue, 4 daughters and 6 sons. Wesleyan Methodist . In 1875 income was apparently c. £15,000 p.a. Estate valued at £300,000.


Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3 . Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South Wales', Sydney, 1995 George Wigram Allen was born 16 May 1824 at Surry Hills in Sydney, and was the first Australian-born Speaker. After serving as an articled clerk he entered into an extremely successful law partnership with his father, George Allen. He married Marian Boyce in July 1851 and they had six sons and four daughters. Allen's business interests also extended to steam and mining companies as well as insurance firms and building societies. Allen took a particular interest in education not only through his role of Commissioner of National Education from 1853 until 1867, but through his generous donations to several educational institutions. His father, George Allen Senior was appointed to the first Legislative Council in 1845 and was nominated to the new Legislative Council at responsible government in 1856. Like his father, Allen became interested in the political sphere at a relatively young age when he was elected the first Mayor of Glebe in 1859 at the age of thirty-five. He held this office for a period of eighteen years, during which time he also entered the state political arena. He was appointed to the Legislative Council for twelve months in 1860 and he entered the Legislative Assembly as the Member for The Glebe between 1869 and 1882. He was Minister of Justice and Public Instruction between 1873 and 1875. Following the defeat of the first Parkes Ministry in 1875 he was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly by a margin of one vote. Although he immediately resigned due to ballot irregularity, he was re-elected Speaker with a large majority. He remained Speaker until 1882 and in 1877 he was knighted for his services as Speaker. He died on 23 July 1885.



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