David Nock (20 September 1828 – 16 June 1909) was a member of the South Australian Parliament, remembered for introducing a Bill ("Nock's Act") forcing licensed premises to close on Sundays.

History

Nock was born on 20 September 1828. He arrived in South Australia September 1844 with his parents Thomas and Maria Nock and siblings aboard ''Emma'' from Sydney. In 1860 he settled in

Kapunda Kapunda is a town on the Light River and near the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It was established after a discovery in 1842 of significant copper deposits. The population was 2,917 at the 2016 Australian census. The southern entrance t ...

, where he operated a small general store. He was a prominent member of the Methodist Church and for many years superintendent of the Sunday-school. He was a member of the town council and served as mayor of Kapunda for the years 1869 and 1870. In 1875 he was elected one of the three representatives for the district of Light in the House of Assembly, his colleagues being

Jenkin Coles Sir Jenkin Coles (19 January 1843 – 6 December 1911) was a South Australian politician. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1875 to 1878 and 1881 to 1911, representing the electorates of Light (1875–78, 1881–190 ...

and James White. In 1876 he introduced a Bill to amend the Licensed Victuallers Act to prohibit serving of liquor on a Sunday. It became law but was recognised by a later parliament as a form of

Sabbatarianism Sabbatarianism advocates the observation of the Sabbath in Christianity, in keeping with the Ten Commandments. The observance of Sunday as a day of worship and rest is a form of first-day Sabbatarianism, a view which was historically heralded ...

rather than a measure to promote temperance, and was reversed in 1878. He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1872. and around 1874 retired to Glenelg, where he died on .

Family

Nock married Sarah Fanny (died 1895) in 1849; their children include: *Thomas David Nock (1850–1922) was Mayor of Kapunda 1890. *Sarah Jane Nock (1852– ) married William Taylor in 1874 *William James Nock (1856–1934) married Annie in 1879 *Emily Maria Nock (1867– ) married William George Clarke in 1887

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nock, David 1829 births 1909 deaths Members of the South Australian House of Assembly Mayors of places in South Australia Australian temperance activists 19th-century Australian politicians