Thomas Williamson (Australian politician)

Thomas Michael Williamson (1853 – 16 December 1921) was an Australian politician.

He was born in Sydney to typesetter William Williamson and Anna Maria Annesley, and grandson of Michael Williamson who both served as mayors of Redfern. He attended Lyndhurst College, serving as an articled clerk in his uncle's law firm, Williamson & Williamson,[1] and was admitted as a solicitor in 1877.[2] He later became a partner in the firm.[3] On 8 October 1873 he married Annie McNamara, with whom he had seven children.

He was a candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the district of Redfern at the 1882 election, winning a seat at the 1885 election.[4][5] He did not re-contest the seat in 1887.[4] He told a meeting of electors that this was due to medical advice,[6] while a biographical article in the Australian Town and Country Journal attributes his retirement to the pressures of business.[7] He was a Protectionist candidate at 1889 election, missing a seat by less than 100 votes.[4]

He served as an alderman of Redfern from 1882 to 1888 when he was elected Mayor, serving a one year term to February 1889.[8]

Williamson had moved to Rydalmere in 1886,[9] and in 1891 successfully organised a petition to divide the Borough of Dundas.[10] He was elected one of 6 aldermen on the resulting Borough of Ermington and Rydalmere, serving as mayor from 1891 until 1893.[3]

In 1894 he was struck off the roll of solicitors as he had misappropriated £776 from a client.[11] He unsuccessfully applied to be re-admitted in November 1896,[12] but was allowed to be employed as a solicitor's clerk.[13]

Some time after November 1896 he moved to Western Australia, where he was a commercial agent.[3] until his death in Perth in January 1921 (aged 67–68). The coroner found that Williamson had committed suicide by taking cyanide.[14]

References
  1. "Thomas Michael Williamson". Sydney's Aldermen. City of Sydney. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  2. "Supreme Court: admission of attorneys". The Evening News. 27 March 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Trove.
  3. "Mr Thomas Michael Williamson (1853-1921)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  4. Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Redfern". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  5. "Mr T M Williamson's meeting". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 October 1885. p. 5. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Trove.
  6. "Redfern electorate: Mr. T.M. Williamson's meeting". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 January 1887. p. 9. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Two mayors of New South Wales". Australian Town and Country Journal. 7 July 1888. p. 29. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Trove.
  8. "Borough of Redfern". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 107. 14 February 1888. p. 1258. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  9. "Banquet to Mr T M Williamson". Freeman's Journal. 31 December 1887. p. 18. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Trove.
  10. "Petition for the division of the Borough of Dundas". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 107. 13 February 1891. p. 1301. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Trove.
  11. "Supreme Court: re Mr T M Williamson, ex parte Rebecca Glass". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 March 1894. p. 7. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Trove.
  12. "Supreme Court: re Mr T M Williamson". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 November 1896. p. 7. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Trove.
  13. "Supreme Court: es parte Thomas Michael Williamson". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 November 1896. p. 7. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Trove.
  14. "Suicide: Death of Thomas Williamson". The West Australian. 14 January 1922. p. 7. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via Trove.

 

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