Sir Arthur Renwick (30 May 1837 – 23 November 1908) was an Australian physician, politician and philanthropist.

Early life

Renwick was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, the son of George Renwick, a bricklayer, and his wife Christina, ''née'' Condie. His parents travelled as bounty immigrants aboard the ''Helen'', arriving in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Australia on 21 July 1841. His father was

Mayor of Redfern People who served as the mayor of the Municipality of Redfern The Municipality of Redfern was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The small municipality was proclaimed in 1859 as one of the first municipalities pro ...

from February 1862 to February 1864 and from February 1867 until February 1872. Renwick was educated at Redfern Grammar School and was one of the early students of the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

, where he matriculated in 1853 and graduated

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in 1857. Renwick then studied at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

where he graduated M.B. (1860),

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

(1861), and F.R.C.S., Edinburgh. Renwick did further courses in Glasgow, London and Paris.

Medical career

Renwick then returned to Sydney in 1862, living in Redfern where he established a rapidly growing practice, becoming eventually one of the leading physicians and the first president of the local branch of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

. In 1868, Renwick married Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. John Saunders, at the Redfern Congregational Church. Renwick also became an examiner in medicine at the University of Sydney, and in 1877 was elected to its senate.

Politician and philanthropist

Renwick attempted to enter the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament Ho ...

for the university seat at the by-election in August 1879 but was defeated by

Edmund Barton Sir Edmund "Toby" Barton, (18 January 18497 January 1920) was an Australian politician and judge who served as the first prime minister of Australia from 1901 to 1903, holding office as the leader of the Protectionist Party. He resigned to ...

, however he was elected a member for East Sydney at the by-election in December 1879. He became

Secretary for Mines The position of Secretary for Mines is a now defunct office in the United Kingdom Government, associated with the Board of Trade. In 1929, the department took over responsibility for petroleum. In 1940, the department was divided with Geoffrey ...

in the third ministry of

Sir Henry Parkes Sir Henry Parkes, (27 May 1815 – 27 April 1896) was a colonial Australian politician and longest non-consecutive Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, the present-day state of New South Wales in the Commonwealth of Australia. He has be ...

on 12 October 1881, but lost his seat at the election held in December 1882. He was elected for Redfern in October 1885, and was Minister of Public Instruction in the

ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

of Sir Patrick Jennings from 26 February 1886 to 19 January 1887. In this year he was nominated to the Legislative Council and was a member for the remainder of his life, though never in office again. As a politician he was one of the earliest to realise the responsibility of the state towards the poor. Renwick authored the Benevolent Society's incorporation act, he founded the state children's relief department, and as president of the original committee he had much to do with the bringing in of old-age pensions in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. In spite of his heavy workload as a physician, he gave much time to Sydney hospital, was its president for 29 years, was also president for about the same period of the

Benevolent Society of New South Wales The Benevolent Society, founded by Edward Smith Hall in 1813, is Australia's first and oldest charity. The society is an independent, not-for-profit organization whose main goals include helping families, older Australians and people with disabili ...

, and he took much interest in the Deaf Dumb and Blind Institution, and the

Royal Hospital for Women The Royal Hospital for Women (RHW) is a specialist hospital for women and babies located in the suburb of Randwick in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Royal Hospital for Women shares the Randwick Hospitals' Campus site with the Prince of ...

Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Paddi ...

. He became a member of the senate of the

in 1877, and was vice-chancellor on several occasions. He was an early advocate for the foundation of a medical school at the university, and in 1877 donated £1000 to found a scholarship in the faculty of medicine. After the medical school was established in 1883 he provided the west stained-glass window in the upper hall of the medical school building. Renwick took the greatest interest in all movements for the welfare of the community, and his ability as an organiser led to his acting as a commissioner for New South Wales for the international exhibition in Melbourne in 1880, and in similar positions for exhibitions held at Amsterdam in 1883, Chicago in 1893 and Adelaide in 1887. He was knighted in 1894. His skill for business led to his being placed on the boards of various important financial companies, but his really important work was his philanthropy. Renwick died at Sydney of heart disease on , he was survived by his wife, five sons and a daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Renwick, Arthur 1837 births 1908 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Australian Knights Bachelor Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons Vice-Chancellors of the University of Sydney 19th-century Australian politicians Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia