Nathaniel Levi
Nathaniel Levi | |
|---|---|
 Nathaniel Levi, c. 1887 | |
| Born | 20 January 1830[1] |
| Died | 11 September 1908 (aged 78)[2] St Kilda, Victoria, Australia[2] |
| Occupation(s) | auctioneer, company director, distiller, politician |
| Spouse | Sarah nee Levy[3] |
| Legislative Assembly of Victoria representative for Maryborough | |
| In office 1860–1865 | |
| Legislative Assembly of Victoria representative for East Melbourne | |
| In office 1866–1868 | |
| Legislative Council of Victoria representative for North Yarra Province | |
| In office 1892–1904 | |
Nathaniel Levi (20 January 1830–1908) was a Jewish-Australian politician and businessman.
Biography
[edit]Levi was born in Liverpool, England on 20 January 1830.[4] He left England in December 1852,[4] and arrived at Hobson's Bay on 27 April 1854 on the Matilda Wattenbach.[4][1] He rented property on Collins and Queens Streets and worked as an auctioneer until 1858[4] when he joined a firm of "wine, spirit, and general merchants" called John Levy and Sons.[4]
In 1858, Levi ran for Parliament to represent the constituency of Maryborough but lost by 14 votes.[4] When Richard Davies Ireland was appointed Attorney-General, Levi contested the election for his vacant seat.[4] He became the first Jewish member of the Victorian Parliament when he was first elected in 1860.[4][5][6]
He represented the electorates of Maryborough for 5 years[4] before he became the representative for East Melbourne.[7] He later represented the electorate of North Yarra.[1]
In 1865, Levi opened a distillery in Footscray and started cultivating sugar and spirits from beetroot.[4][8]
Levi was prominent in the Jewish community, and was the president of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation[4] in 1880–82 and 1904–05,[1] and president of the Melbourne Hebrew School.[4]
Personal life
[edit]In 1855, Levy married John Levy's daughter, Sarah.[9][10] She died in 1864.[4][11]
Levi was the forebear of prominent rabbi, John Levi,[6] one of the founders of Melbourne's King David School.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Fredman, L. E. (1974). "Levi, Nathaniel (1830–1908)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ a b "ABOUT PEOPLE". The Age. No. 16693. Victoria, Australia. 12 September 1908. p. 13. Retrieved 13 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Family Notices". The Age. No. 349. Victoria, Australia. 30 November 1855. p. 4. Retrieved 16 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Leavitt, T. W. H., ed. (1887). Australian Representative Men. Melbourne, Australia: Wells and Leavitt. pp. 61–65.
- ^ The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins (2001 Hardback ed.). Cambridge University Press. 2001. p. 530. ISBN 0521807891.
- ^ a b Webb, Carolyn (2 December 2006). "Nation's first Jews an 'obsession' for rabbi". The Age. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Mr. Nathaniel Levi". Essendon and Flemington Chronicle. 31 July 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
- ^ "Mr. Nathaniel Levi". Williamstown Chronicle. Victoria. 25 July 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
- ^ "Historical Information (Nathaniel Levi plaque)". St Kilda Historical Society's Victorian Collections. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
- ^ "Married (Nathaniel Levi/Sarah Levy)". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria. 30 November 1855. p. 4.
- ^ "Death (Levi)". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria. 23 March 1864. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
.
 | This article about an Australian politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1830 births
- 1908 deaths
- Politicians from Liverpool
- Jewish English politicians
- Australian Jews
- Australian people of English-Jewish descent
- English emigrants to colonial Australia
- Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
- Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
- 19th-century Australian politicians
- Australian politician stubs