Hiram Wakefield

Hiram Wakefield
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Moreton
In office 13 May 1885 – 17 May 1888
Preceded by	Thomas Macdonald-Paterson
Succeeded by	Matthew Battersby
Personal details
Born	Hiram Wakefield 7 May 1837 Bristol, England
Died	25 June 1905 (aged 68) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Resting place	Toowong Cemetery
Spouse(s)	Margaret Birch (m.1861 d.1898)
Occupation	Businessman
Religion	Methodist

Hiram Wakefield (7 May 1837 - 25 June 1905) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.^[1]

Biography

Wakefield was born in Bristol, England, the son of James Wakefield and his wife Hannah (née Sanigar). He was educated in Bristol and after arriving in Australia in 1855 was running a successful iron importing and plumbing business in Brisbane by 1857. In 1877 he invested 2,000 pounds into the Townsville ice works.^[1]

On The 29th Mar 1861^[1] Wakefield married Margaret Birch (died 1898)^[2] and together had three sons and four daughters. He died in June 1905 and his funeral proceeded from the New Farm residence of his daughter to the Toowong Cemetery.^[3][4]

Public career

Wakefield began his political life as an alderman on the Sandgate Town Council in 1881^[5] becoming the town's mayor in 1887, a role in which he served for two years.^[6]

In 1885, the member for Moreton in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, Thomas Macdonald-Paterson resigned after being appointed to the Queensland Legislative Council. At the ensuing by-election, Wakefield easily defeated George Raff to become the new member.^[7] He did not stand for re-election at the 1888 Queensland colonial election.

References

1. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
2. Family history research — Queensland Register of Births Deaths and Marriages. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
3. "Family Notices". The Brisbane Courier. LXII, (14,806). Queensland, Australia. 26 June 1905. p. 4. Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
4. Toowong Cemetery — Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
5. Hiram Wakefield — State Library of Queensland Retrieved 30 July 2016.
6. "Local Government Elections.". Western Star And Roma Advertiser (947). Queensland, Australia. 15 February 1888. p. 3. Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "THE SUEZ CANAL.". The Brisbane Courier. XXXIX, (8,532). Queensland, Australia. 15 May 1885. p. 5. Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.