Henry Mort
Henry Mort (23 December 1818 – 6 September 1900) was a pastoralist, businessman, and politician in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. He was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.
Henry Mort | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for West Moreton | |
| In office 21 June 1859 – 10 December 1859 | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for West Macquarie | |
| In office 2 December 1859 – 10 November 1860 | |
| Preceded by | John McPhillamy |
| Succeeded by | Richard Driver |
| Member of Legislative Council of New South Wales | |
| In office 22 August 1882 – 6 September 1900 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henry Mort 23 December 1818 Bolton, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 6 September 1900 (aged 81) Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia |
| Resting place | St Jude's Church and Cemetery |
| Nationality | English Australian |
| Spouse | Maria Laidley (m.1846 d.1873) |
| Occupation | Pastoralist, Woolbroker, Insurance broker |
Early life
Henry Mort was born on 23 December 1818 at Willowfield, Bolton, Lancashire, England, the son of Jonathon Mort and his wife Mary (née Sutcliffe). He was educated in Manchester and came to Australia in 1840.[1]
From about 1841 to 1855 he was one of the pioneers in the Moreton Bay district (now the State of Queensland) working on pastoral stations. He was manager of Cressbrook Station in the Brisbane River Valley for David Cannon McConnel. Then in 1849, his brother Thomas Sutcliffe Mort leased the Laidley Plains pastoral station and appointed Henry Mort as manager. Henry Mort converted the station from sheep to cattle. In 1852, Henry Mort and his brother-in-law James Laidley took over the lease with Mort managing the Franklyn Vale portion of the station.[2]
On 6 My 1846 he married Maria Laidley, the daughter of James Laidley (senior), in St James' Church, Sydney.
In 1855, Henry Mort moved to Sydney and became a partner in his brother's woolbroking business Mort & Co, later Goldsbrough Mort & Co.[2] He was involved in many insurance companies and banks and one of the promoters of the Sydney Meat Preserving Company.[1]
Politics
Mort represented West Moreton (then part of New South Wales) in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from June 1859 to the seat's abolition with the separation of Queensland in December 1859. He then represented West Macquarie from December 1859 to November 1860. He was appointed a lifetime Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council on 22 Aug 1882.[3]
Later life
Henry Mort donated £3,000 to the construction of All Saints Anglican Church in Ocean Street, Woollahra; Mort lived in that street and his eldest son Henry Wallace Mort was the rector of the church.[4]
Mort died from pneumonia at his residence Anglesea, Ocean Street, Woollahra, Sydney on 6 September 1900 aged 81 years.[1] His funeral proceeded from his Woollahra residence to the All Saints Church and then to the St Jude's Church and Cemetery for burial.[5]
Legacy
The now heritage-listed Franklyn Vale Homestead in Grandchester, Queensland was established on Henry Mort's Franklyn Vale property in the early 1870s for his daughter and son-in-law, Edward Crace. Henry Mort was an occasional visitor to the property.[2]
The locality of Mount Mort in the vicinity of the homestead is named after the Mort family.[6]
All Saints Anglican Church is a heritage building.[7]
References
- "DEATH OF MR. HENRY MORT, M.L.C." The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 September 1900. p. 11. Retrieved 25 October 2015 – via Trove.
- "Franklyn Vale Homestead (entry 600728)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- "Mr Henry Mort". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
- "Australian Christian Church Histories :: Woollahra NSW – All Saints Anglican". www.churchhistories.net.au. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 September 1900. p. 20. Retrieved 9 January 2016 – via Trove.
- "Mount Mort (entry 47269)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- "All Saints Anglican Church -(Full Lep Listing – Description In Further Comments) | NSW Environment & Heritage". www.environment.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
External links
Media related to Henry Mort at Wikimedia Commons