Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

Member Details

Sir Daniel LEVY (1872 - 1937)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 30/11/1872
Place of Birth: London, England
Date of Death: 20/05/1937
Place of Death: Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member for Woollahra 11 May 1935 20 May 1937 2 years 10 days
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly 24 Jun 1932 20 May 1937 4 years 10 months 27 days
Member for Woollahra 11 Jun 1932 12 Apr 1935 2 years 10 months 2 days
Attorney General and Minister of Justice 16 May 1932 17 Jun 1932 1 month 2 days
Member for Woollahra 25 Oct 1930 18 May 1932 1 year 6 months 24 days
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly 03 Nov 1927 24 Nov 1930 3 years 22 days
Member for Paddington 08 Oct 1927 18 Sep 1930 2 years 11 months 11 days
Member for Sydney 30 May 1925 07 Sep 1927 2 years 3 months 9 days
Member for Sydney 25 Mar 1922 18 Apr 1925 3 years 25 days
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly 20 Dec 1921 23 Jun 1925 3 years 6 months 4 days
Member for Sydney 20 Mar 1920 17 Feb 1922 1 year 10 months 29 days
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly 19 Aug 1919 12 Dec 1921 2 years 3 months 24 days
Chairman of Committees 01 Aug 1917 18 Aug 1919 2 years 18 days
Member for Darlinghurst 24 Mar 1917 18 Feb 1920 2 years 10 months 26 days
Church of England Trust Property Bill Committee No. 8 30 Nov 1916 21 Dec 1916 22 days
Library Committee No. 5 28 Jul 1916 21 Dec 1916 4 months 24 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No. 2 20 Jul 1916 21 Dec 1916 5 months 2 days
Library Committee No. 6 02 Jul 1915 13 Apr 1916 9 months 12 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No. 2 01 Jul 1915 13 Apr 1916 9 months 14 days
Library Committee No. 3 22 Jul 1914 23 Feb 1915 7 months 2 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No. 2 21 Jul 1914 23 Feb 1915 7 months 3 days
Library Committee No. 3 11 Mar 1914 18 Apr 1914 1 month 8 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No. 2 03 Mar 1914 18 Apr 1914 1 month 16 days
Member for Darlinghurst 06 Dec 1913 21 Feb 1917 3 years 2 months 16 days
Library Committee No.4 06 Aug 1913 15 Oct 1913 2 months 10 days
Library Committee No.4 07 Aug 1912 05 Dec 1912 3 months 29 days
Library Committee No.4 12 Sep 1911 28 Mar 1912 6 months 17 days
Library Committee No.4 30 May 1911 01 Aug 1911 2 months 3 days
Library Committee No.4 30 Nov 1910 23 Dec 1910 24 days
Member for Darlinghurst 14 Oct 1910 06 Nov 1913 3 years 24 days
Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 07 Jul 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 14 days
Library Committee No.4 28 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 24 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 21 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 2 months
Claim of Robert Roberts late bookbinder in the Registrar’s General’s Department Committee No.8 24 Aug 1909 15 Sep 1909 23 days
Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 10 Aug 1909 09 Dec 1909 4 months
Library Committee No.4 14 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5 months 4 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 13 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5 months 5 days
Library Committee No.4 05 Aug 1908 19 Dec 1908 4 months 15 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 23 Jul 1908 19 Dec 1908 4 months 27 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 13 Mar 1908 11 Apr 1908 30 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 12 Mar 1908 11 Apr 1908 1 month
Standing Orders Committee No.2 24 Oct 1907 20 Dec 1907 1 month 27 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 22 Oct 1907 15 Nov 1907 25 days Chairman
Member for Darlinghurst 10 Sep 1907 14 Sep 1910 3 years 5 days
Library Committee No.3 09 Jul 1907 12 Jul 1907 4 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 04 Jul 1907 12 Jul 1907 9 days
Occupation of Land at la Perouse by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company Committee No.13 22 Nov 1906 13 Dec 1906 22 days
Bread (Amendment) Act Committee No.12 11 Oct 1906 07 Dec 1906 1 month 27 days
Library Committee No.2 10 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 9 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 05 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 14 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 05 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 14 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 05 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 14 days
Sydney Corporation Amendment Bill Committee No.22 15 Nov 1905 28 Nov 1905 14 days
Bread (Amendment) Bill Committee No.17 19 Sep 1905 28 Nov 1905 2 months 10 days
Claim of Robert Roberts, late Bookbinder, Registrar-General’s Department Committee No.16 12 Sep 1905 25 Oct 1905 1 month 14 days
Diocese of Goulburn Church Land Sale Bill Committee No.13 23 Aug 1905 05 Sep 1905 14 days
Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Bill Committee No.11 08 Aug 1905 26 Sep 1905 1 month 19 days
Library Committee No.4 28 Jun 1905 09 Dec 1905 5 months 12 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 14 Jun 1905 09 Dec 1905 5 months 26 days
Municipal District of Cowra reduced Area Bill Committee No.8 01 Nov 1904 16 Nov 1904 16 days
Library Committee No.4 21 Sep 1904 24 Dec 1904 3 months 4 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 24 Aug 1904 01 Dec 1904 3 months 8 days
Member for Darlinghurst 06 Aug 1904 19 Aug 1907 3 years 14 days
Condition of the Blind Workers of the State Committee No.16 09 Sep 1902 20 Dec 1902 3 months 12 days
Inverell Gas, Coke, Coal, and Electric Lighting Company (Limited) Bill Committee No.15 17 Dec 1901 18 Dec 1901 2 days
Member for Sydney-Fitzroy 03 Jul 1901 16 Jul 1904 3 years 14 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 03 Jul 1901 20 May 1937 35 years 10 months 18 days
Political Party Activity
Liberal and Reform Party; Nationalist Party; United Australia Party
Community Activity
Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1902
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (barrister). Arrived in Sydney in 1880; educated at Crown Street Superior public school, Sydney Grammar and University of Sydney; scholarships and university medal, BA Hons 1st 1893, LLB in 1895; called to the Bar in 1895, became an associate of Justice Cohen from 1895 until 1897; admitted as a solicitor in 1902; re-admitted to Bar in 1923; director of Haymarket Land Building Company Limited; trustee of Public Library of New South Wales from 1906 until 1937; president from 1927 until 1937; trustee of Australian Museum; fellow of Senate of University of Sydney from 1913 until 1936; secretary of Shakespeare Society; councillor of Millions Club in 1918; director of Sydney Hospital from 1928 until 1937 and Eastern Suburbs Hospital; member of East Sydney School Board; trustee of Sydney Grammar School; government representative on board of Benevolent Society of New South Wales from 1929 until 1937; editor of Australasian Hebrew in 1896; honorary secretary from 1898 until 1903 and vice president of New South Wales Board of Jewish Education
Military Service
Honours Received
Knighted in 1929
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Joseph Levy, tailor, and Esther Cohen. Unmarried. Funeral at Rookwood Cemetery from Great Synagogue, Sydney.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10 Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South Wales', Sydney, 1995 Daniel Levy was born on 30 November 1872 in England and emigrated to New South Wales with his parents in 1880. He never married. As a student he obtained great academic distinction with first place honours in both Arts and Law. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly as the Member for Sydney-Fitzroy in 1901 and represented Darlinghurst between 1904 and 1920, during which time he was Chairman of Committees. He was the Member for Sydney from 1920 until 1927, and for Paddington from 1927 until 1930 when he became the Member for Woollahra. Although Levy held the office of Speaker for fourteen years from 1919 until 1937, his Speakership was marked by controversy. Despite belonging to the Nationalist Party, Levy accepted the Speakership under the Dooley Labor Government of 1920. Although he resigned as Speaker the following year, he was re-elected Speaker during the seven hour Fuller Ministry and he retained office when Dooley was recommissioned to establish a new Government. It was his ability to abandon political ties that ensured the continuation of his Speakership under successive governments. Levy streamlined the passage of bills through the Lower House by limiting debate to point of second reading and the committee stage. To ensure a hi-partisan approach to the demands and responsibilities of office, Levy favoured a British style of Speakership in which the Speaker's seat remained uncontested, suggesting in 1929 that the Government adopt this model by statute. Following the dismissal of Jack Lang, Levy served for a month in Bertram Steven's emergency cabinet of 1932 as Minister for Justice and Attorney-General. He died on 20 May 1937 at Darling Point.