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 Notes Member of the NSW Legislative Council 6 Jun 1860 13 May 1861 11mth(s) 8day(s) First (Quinquennial) Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 25 May 1860. Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 11 Dec 1869 14 Aug 1883 13yrs 8mths 4days 5th (1865 - 1869) 6th (1870 - 1872) 7th (1872 - 1874) 8th (1875 - 1877) 9th (1877 - 1880) 10th (1880 - 1882) 11th (1882 - 1885) Member for Glebe 11 Dec 1869 3 Feb 1872 2yr(s) 1mth(s) 24day(s) 6th (1870 - 1872) Member for Glebe 19 Dec 1872 9 Dec 1873 11mth(s) 21day(s) 7th (1872 - 1874) Member for Glebe 17 Dec 1873 28 Nov 1874 11mth(s) 12day(s) 7th (1872 - 1874) Member for Glebe 11 Dec 1874 12 Oct 1877 2yr(s) 10mth(s) 2day(s) 8th (1875 - 1877) Member for Glebe 29 Oct 1877 9 Nov 1880 3yr(s) 12day(s) 9th (1877 - 1880) Member for Glebe 18 Nov 1880 26 Nov 1882 2yr(s) 9day(s) 10th (1880 - 1882) Member for Glebe 1 Dec 1882 14 Aug 1883 8mth(s) 14day(s) 11th (1882 - 1885) Minister of Justice and Public Instruction 9 Dec 1873 8 Feb 1875 1yr(s) 2mth(s) Speaker of the Legislative Assembly 23 Mar 1875 23 Nov 1882 7yr(s) 8mth(s) 1day(s) Public Vehicles and Boats Committee No.6 8 Feb 1870 29 Apr 1870 2mths 22days 6th (1870 - 1872) George Swinnerton Yarnton Committee No.13 1 Mar 1870 23 Mar 1870 23days 6th (1870 - 1872) Water Supply – Sydney and Suburbs Committee No.23 8 Apr 1870 3 May 1870 26days 6th (1870 - 1872) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 11 Aug 1870 3 Nov 1870 2mths 24days 6th (1870 - 1872) Government Printing Office Committee No.9 13 Sep 1870 4 May 1871 7mths 22days 6th (1870 - 1872) Camperdown Cemetery Trust Bill Committee No.17 21 Feb 1871 2 Mar 1871 10days 6th (1870 - 1872) St Andrew’s Parsonage Sale Bill Committee No.18 22 Feb 1871 7 Mar 1871 14days 6th (1870 - 1872) Chairman The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 14 Nov 1871 14 Nov 1871 1day 6th (1870 - 1872) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 14 Nov 1871 1 Feb 1872 2mths 19days 6th (1870 - 1872) Library Committee No.2 15 Nov 1871 1 Feb 1872 2mths 18days 6th (1870 - 1872) The Civil Service Committee No.6 21 Nov 1871 1 Feb 1872 2mths 12days 6th (1870 - 1872) Parramatta Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.8 7 Dec 1871 14 Dec 1871 8days 6th (1870 - 1872) Loder’s Estate Bill Committee No.9 8 Dec 1871 1 Feb 1872 1mth 25days 6th (1870 - 1872) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 2 May 1872 10 Jul 1872 2mths 9days 6th (1870 - 1872) Standing Orders Committee No.4 12 Jun 1872 13 Aug 1872 2mths 2days 6th (1870 - 1872) Library Committee No.3 12 Jun 1872 13 Aug 1872 2mths 2days 6th (1870 - 1872) Parramatta Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.6 14 Jun 1872 20 Jun 1872 7days 6th (1870 - 1872) Bathurst Gas Bill Committee No.7 14 Jun 1872 21 Jun 1872 8days 6th (1870 - 1872) The Petersham Church Grant Bill Committee No.8 20 Jun 1872 25 Jul 1872 1mth 6days 6th (1870 - 1872) Loder’s Estate Bill Committee No.9 25 Jun 1872 11 Jul 1872 17days 6th (1870 - 1872) The Civil Service Committee No.16 30 Jul 1872 2 Aug 1872 4days 6th (1870 - 1872) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 5 Nov 1872 5 Nov 1872 1day 6th (1870 - 1872) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 5 Nov 1872 25 Apr 1873 5mths 21days 7th (1872 - 1874) Library Committee No.3 6 Nov 1872 25 Apr 1873 5mths 20days 7th (1872 - 1874) Standing Orders Committee No.4 6 Nov 1872 25 Apr 1873 5mths 20days 7th (1872 - 1874) Wharf Accommodation, Sydney Harbour Committee No.7 13 Nov 1872 24 Apr 1873 5mths 12days 7th (1872 - 1874) Loder’s Estate Bill Committee No.8 14 Nov 1872 12 Dec 1872 29days 6th (1870 - 1872) Petersham Church Grant Bill Committee No.9 14 Nov 1872 15 Jan 1873 2mths 2days 7th (1872 - 1874) Chairman Patents Committee No.10 19 Nov 1872 14 Mar 1873 3mths 24days 7th (1872 - 1874) Underwood’s Estate Bill Committee No.21 4 Feb 1873 25 Mar 1873 1mth 22days 7th (1872 - 1874) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 11 Sep 1873 24 Jun 1874 9mths 14days 7th (1872 - 1874) The Sydney Museum Committee No.27 24 Feb 1874 18 May 1874 2mths 25days 7th (1872 - 1874) Wharf Accommodation, Sydney Harbour Committee No.30 29 Apr 1874 25 Jun 1874 1mth 28days 7th (1872 - 1874) Standing Orders Committee No.3 4 Nov 1874 26 Nov 1874 23days 7th (1872 - 1874) Library Committee No.2 4 Nov 1874 26 Nov 1874 23days 7th (1872 - 1874) Letter addressed to M.M Rochefort and Grousset Committee No.5 5 Nov 1874 26 Nov 1874 22days 7th (1872 - 1874) Standing Orders Committee No.4 31 Mar 1875 11 Aug 1875 4mths 12days 8th (1875 - 1877) Chairman Library Committee No.2 18 Nov 1875 22 Aug 1876 9mths 5days 8th (1875 - 1877) Refreshment Room No.4 18 Nov 1875 22 Aug 1876 9mths 5days 8th (1875 - 1877) Standing Orders Committee No.3 18 Nov 1875 22 Aug 1876 9mths 5days 8th (1875 - 1877) Library Committee No.2 14 Dec 1876 11 Oct 1877 9mths 28days 8th (1875 - 1877) Standing Orders Committee No.3 14 Dec 1876 11 Oct 1877 9mths 28days 8th (1875 - 1877) Refreshment Room No.6 30 Jan 1878 21 May 1878 3mths 22days 9th (1877 - 1880) Library Committee No.4 30 Jan 1878 21 May 1878 3mths 22days 9th (1877 - 1880) Standing Orders Committee No.5 30 Jan 1878 21 May 1878 3mths 22days 9th (1877 - 1880) Refreshment Room No.4 11 Sep 1878 24 Jul 1879 10mths 14days 9th (1877 - 1880) Chairman Standing Orders Committee No.3 11 Sep 1878 24 Jul 1879 10mths 14days 9th (1877 - 1880) Library Committee No.2 11 Sep 1878 24 Jul 1879 10mths 14days 9th (1877 - 1880) Refreshment Room No.4 29 Oct 1879 13 Jul 1880 8mths 15days 9th (1877 - 1880) Library Committee No.2 29 Oct 1879 13 Jul 1880 8mths 15days 9th (1877 - 1880) Standing Orders Committee No.3 29 Oct 1879 13 Jul 1880 8mths 15days 9th (1877 - 1880) Standing Orders Committee No.3 17 Dec 1880 6 Apr 1881 3mths 21days 10th (1880 - 1882) Library Committee No.2 17 Dec 1880 6 Apr 1881 3mths 21days 10th (1880 - 1882) Standing Orders Committee No.4 6 Jul 1881 29 Jul 1881 24days 10th (1880 - 1882) Library Committee No.3 6 Jul 1881 20 Dec 1881 5mths 15days 10th (1880 - 1882) Standing Orders Committee No.3 30 Aug 1882 21 Nov 1882 2mths 23days 10th (1880 - 1882) Library Committee No.2 30 Aug 1882 21 Nov 1882 2mths 23days 10th (1880 - 1882) Library Committee No.2 18 Jan 1883 2 May 1883 3mths 15days 11th (1882 - 1885) Earnshaw’s Estate Bill Committee No.17 9 Mar 1883 16 Mar 1883 8days 11th (1882 - 1885) Chairman Cohen’s Estate Bill Committee No.18 30 Mar 1883 4 Apr 1883 6days 11th (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. His son, Arthur Wigram Allen (1862-1941) was a noted amateur photographer and many of his photographs have been published in 'An Edwardian Summer: Sydney and beyond through the lens of Arthur Wigram Allen' (Sydney 2010).

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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