Alexander Kethel

Alexander Kethel (2 November 1832 – 23 June 1916) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and timber merchant.

Early life

He was born in Perth to carpenter William Kethel and Mary Watson. After a limited education, he was apprenticed to a shoemaker and then went to sea, travelling in the North Sea and the Mediterranean before jumping ship in Sydney in 1853. After working on coastal vessels and in the Victorian goldfields, he returned to Sydney to work at John Booth's sawmill, promoted to foreman and one of three partners leasing the business from 1870. In 1861 he married Mary Ann Yeates; they had seven children. He faced a number of set backs, having been shipwrecked 3 times, then the sawmill burnt down in 1874.[1]

It was as a wholesale timber merchant that he prospered, becoming a wharfinger, leasing the market wharf in Sydney.[2] moving into coastal shipping, including as a ship owner.[1] In 1888 he had a Grand Victorian mansion built on the corner of Glebe Point and Wigram Roads in Glebe which he named Ben Ledi, after the mountain near his birthplace in Scotland.[3]

Political career

He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1885 for West Sydney. Re-elected as a Free Trader in 1887, he did not re-contest in 1889.[4] In 1892 he was appointed to a Royal Commission, along with William Owen and John Young, to inquire into charges made by William Schey against Edward Eddy, the Chief Commissioner of Railways.[5][6] In 1895 he was appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council,[7] where he remained until his death. He did not hold ministerial or parliamentary office.[8]

Death

His son was the architect Joseph Alexander Kethel. He died at Castle Hill on 23 June 1916(1916-06-23) (aged 83),[8] survived by two sons and three daughters.[1]

References
  1. Lyons, Mark (1983). "Kethel, Alexander (1832–1916)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  2. "Market Wharf". The Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  3. "Benledi". The Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  4. Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of West Sydney". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  5. "Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the charges against Mr. E.M.G. Eddy, the Chief Commissioner of Railways". State Records. Government of New South Wales. 25 July 1892. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  6. "The Royal Commission on railways". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 August 1892. p. 7. Retrieved 19 May 2021 – via Trove.
  7. "Summons to the Legislative Council". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 528. 8 August 1895. p. 5075. Retrieved 19 May 2021 – via Trove.
  8. "Mr Alexander Kethel (1832-1916)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
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