William Morgan (South Australian politician)
Sir William Morgan KCMG | |
---|---|
14th Premier of South Australia | |
In office 27 September 1878 – 24 June 1881 | |
Monarch | Victoria |
Governor | Sir William Jervois |
Preceded by | James Boucaut |
Succeeded by | John Bray |
Chief Secretary of South Australia | |
In office 3 June 1875 – 25 March 1876 | |
Premier | James Boucaut |
Preceded by | Arthur Blyth |
Succeeded by | George Hawker |
In office 26 October 1877 – 24 June 1881 | |
Premier | James Boucaut (until 1878) |
Preceded by | Henry Ayers |
Succeeded by | John Bray |
Personal details | |
Born | Wilshamstead, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom | 12 September 1828
Died | 2 November 1883 Brighton, Sussex, United Kingdom | (aged 55)
Spouse | Harriett Matthews |
Sir William Morgan
Early life
William Morgan was born in
Political career
Morgan was elected to the South Australian Legislative Council in August 1867, and was chief secretary in the second James Boucaut government from June 1875 to March 1876. He was chief secretary again in the fourth Boucaut ministry from October 1877 to September 1878, and when Boucaut became a judge, Morgan reconstructed the ministry and on 27 September 1878 became premier and chief secretary.[5] This ministry was in office for nearly three years but it did not have an easy passage. One important measure passed was that providing deep drainage for Adelaide, the first city in Australia to have a proper sewerage system. A public trustee act was passed, and there was some railway extension, but other bills were rejected by the council.[6]
Late life
Pressure of private business, including bad investments in New Caledonia, resulted in Morgan's resignation on 24 June 1881, and the John Bray ministry came in. He was created K.C.M.G. in 1883. In May that year Morgan left Australia on a visit to England and he died suddenly on 2 November at Brighton, Sussex,[7] aged 55.
Morgan was a self-made man who had liberal opinions. He was an avid free-trader who held that protective duties taxed the people least able to bear the burden. He was an excellent speaker, able administrator and might have had a more important place in South Australian politics if he had lived longer.
Family
On 8 July 1854 Morgan married Harriett, daughter of Thomas Matthews of Hurd's Hill, Coromandel Valley; together they had nine children.[1] Harriet survived him with two sons and two daughters, including:
- Dr. Alexander Matheson Morgan MB (11 February 1867 – 18 October 1934) was a noted ornithologist. He married Myrtle Dutton Green, daughter of George Dutton Green, on 11 October 1905.
- William Matheson Morgan (9 November 1906 – 2 February 1972) mining engineer[8]
References
- ^ ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ School Of The Black And Red-A History Of Bedford Modern School, by Andrew Underwood (1981)
- The Evening Journal. 28 February 1880. p. 4. Retrieved 3 September 2015 – via Trove.
- ^ "Advertising". South Australian Register. 1 August 1882. p. 2. Retrieved 3 September 2015 – via Trove. This was the largest company registered in South Australia up to that time.
- ^ "Hon Sir William Morgan KCMG". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Serle, Percival (1949). "Morgan, William". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
- ^ Harris, Charles Alexander (1894). Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co. . In
- ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 5 September 2015.