James Robert Wilshire

Wilshire was the second son of a successful Sydney tanner, James Wilshire[3] and his wife Esther, née Pitt.[1] The Wilshires were one of the oldest colonial families in New South Wales, James's grandfather, also James Wilshire, having arrived in the colony in 1800.[4]

Wilshire was educated privately and worked in his father's tannery which he inherited in 1840. He married twice, first to Elizabeth Thompson (in 1836) and, following her death in 1846, married her younger sister, Sarah in 1847.[1] He had twelve children in all, five with Elizabeth, and then seven with Sarah. His oldest, James Thompson Wilshire, became a politician,[5] and his youngest (born a week after his death), Henry Austin Wilshire, became a well-known architect.

In November 1842 he was elected as a Councillor of the first Sydney Council,[6] and served as the third Mayor of Sydney from 25 September 1843 until November 1844.[7] Wilshire was a political supporter of John Dunmore Lang and a strident opponent of the reintroduction of transportation. He was a generous supporter of the Benevolent Society. In January 1855, prior to the establishment of responsible self-government, Wilshire was returned to the semi-elected Legislative Council for City of Sydney.[2] He represented the electorate of Sydney City in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 13 March 1856 to 19 December 1857.[2] Subsequently, at the first election under the new constitution he was elected to the Legislative Assembly as one of the four members for the same seat. Wilshire was defeated at the next election, in 1858. He did not hold a ministerial or parliamentary position. Following his defeat he accepted a five-year appointment to the Legislative Council which he retained until his death.[2]