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Elias Solomon

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The Honourable
Elias Solomon
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Fremantle[1]
In office
29 March 1901 – 16 December 1903
Preceded byNew seat
Succeeded byWilliam Carpenter
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
for South Fremantle
In office
14 October 1892 – 29 March 1901
Preceded byDavid Symon
Succeeded byArthur Diamond
Mayor of Fremantle
In office
1881–1881
Preceded byEdward Higham
Succeeded byEdward Higham
Councillor of the Town of Fremantle
In office
1877–1881
Personal details
Born(1839-09-02)2 September 1839
London, England
Died23 May 1909(1909-05-23) (aged 69)
Beaconsfield, Western Australia, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Political partyFree Trade Party
Parent(s)Leah (née Myers) and Moss Solomon
OccupationClerk

Elias Solomon (2 September 1839 – 23 May 1909) was an Australian politician based in Fremantle. He was Mayor of Fremantle, MLA for South Fremantle, and the first Member for Fremantle in the Australian House of Representatives.[1]

Early life

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Solomon was born in London, England to Leah and Moss Solomon and migrated to Australia as a child, living at first in Sydney and then Adelaide. His uncle Emanuel Solomon owned the Queen's Theatre in Adelaide, and Solomon's father Moss was for a short while made manager.[1] The family returned to Sydney until Moss' death in 1849 when Leah again moved to Adelaide and Solomon[1] was educated at Adelaide Educational Institution.

Career

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Ocean View, his residence built in 1887

After finishing school, Solomon joined another of his uncle's business concerns and in 1857 was sent to Mauritius to purchase goods.[1] On his return, he worked for the firm of Solomon and Salom in Adelaide, and also Falk and Co. of Melbourne.[1]

At the age of 29 Solomon headed west to Fremantle in Western Australia, arriving on 20 January 1868 aboard Eliza Blanche and initially living in Henry Street. Soon the same year he was joined by two of his nephews and together then formed Solomon & Nephews, Auctioneers and Agents[2] of which Solomon was clerk and auctioneer. This venture was part-financed by his half-brother Judah Moss Solomon (of Melbourne) and brother-in-law Isaac Solomon (of Adelaide).

The weight of conducting business in a depressed economic environment bore on Solomon,[1] and this was not helped by his nephews being active members of Fremantle's Amateur Dramatics Company,[3] performing at the Oddfellows in William Street. He wrote to them in July 1869: "…that you may not be under any misunderstanding with regard to my present dissatisfaction, I will be more explicit. You have taken up time belonging to the firm in Amateur Theatrical matters which, I believe, is acting prejudiciously to the business…"[1]

In 1881 he was elected to the Fremantle City Council. In 1892, he was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly as the member for South Fremantle, where he remained until 1901. In that year, he transferred to federal politics, winning the Australian House of Representatives seat of Fremantle for the Free Trade Party. He was defeated by Labor's William Carpenter in 1903. Solomon died in 1909.[4] Solomon was at one time head of the Fremantle Cemetery board, which is where he is buried.

Ocean View residence

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Solomon's residence, Ocean View at 134 Solomon Street, Beaconsfield, was completed in 1887 in the Victorian Regency style. After his death it served as military hospital during World War One, until 1917, and as a maternity hospital in the years between the wars. It now has reverted to a private residence again and is heritage listed.[5] Solomon Street was renamed from Mary Street in the 1950s to commemorate Elias Solomon.[6]

Family

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Solomon was married twice, firstly to Agnes Elizabeth Bickley (c. 1846 – 22 April 1886), the daughter of Wallace Bickley.[7] After Agnes' death he re-married to Elizabeth Stokes (16 September 1868 – 3 December 1898) on 1 May 1887.[8] They had five children.[9]

Samuel Moss Solomon
c. 1769 – 1842
Moss Solomon
1796–1849		Leah MyersEmanuel Solomon
1800–1873		Vaiben Solomon
1798–1860
Agnes Elizabeth Bickley
c. 1846 – 1886		Elias Solomon
1839–1909		Elizabeth Stokes
1868–1898		IsabellaRoseOther children unknown
Wallace Elias Bickley Solomon
1878–1950		Maurice Elias Solomon
1888–1977		3 other children

See also

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  • Solomon family for further details of this extensive and influential family

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Solomon, Coralie (2004). "Elias Solomon, first Federal Member of Parliament for Fremantle: life and letters 1839–1909". Fremantle Studies. 3.
  2. ^ "LABOR". Fremantle Herald. Fremantle, WA. 25 April 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  3. ^ "TOPICS OF THE WEEK". Fremantle Herald. Fremantle, WA. 26 November 1870. p. 3. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  4. ^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
  5. ^ "Register Entry Assessment Documentation Ocean View". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  6. ^ "City of Fremantle and Town of East Fremantle Street Names Index" (PDF). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Family Notices". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 28 April 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Family Notices". The Daily News. Perth: National Library of Australia. 3 May 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Death of Mrs. Elias Solomon". Daily News (Perth, Western Australia). Perth: National Library of Australia. 6 December 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
[edit]
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for South Fremantle
1892–1901 		Succeeded by
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
New seat
 Member for Fremantle
1901 – 1903 		Succeeded by
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