Barnett Levey (1798 – 2 October 1837) was a Jewish English–Australian merchant and theatre director. Levey was born in London and migrated to Sydney in December 1821 as the first free Jewish settler. From 1826 Levey had joined concerts as a singer. In 1832 he received the first theatre license. In 1833, Levey founded Theatre Royal, Australia's oldest theatrical institution, and has been regarded as the "father of Australian theatre." Barnett Levey built Waverley House in 1827, the first house in the

Waverley Waverley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Waverley'' (novel), by Sir Walter Scott ** ''Waverley'' Overture, a work by Hector Berlioz inspired by Scott's novel * Waverley Harrison, a character in the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Stree ...

district. Following Levey's death, the house served as a convent and subsequently as a school for destitute girls and later as a boys' school before it was demolished in 1904. Waverley House gave its name not only to the Municipality, but also to the Suburb, Street, Crescent and Lane. Levey was buried in the Jewish section of Devonshire Street cemetery and the headstone was eventually moved to Botany cemetery with all the other stones to make way for the railway. Barnett-Levey

Family

Barnett married Sarah Emma Wilson in 1825 and had four children. Barnett's brother

Solomon Levey Solomon Levey ( 1794 10 October 1833) was a convict transported to Australia in 1815 for theft who became a highly successful merchant and financier, at one time issuing his own banknotes in New South Wales. Solomon was a backer of the Swan River ...

was a prosperous merchant.

References

1798 births 1837 deaths Australian Jews History of New South Wales Burials at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park {{Australia-bio-stub