Henry Creswick (13 April 1824 – 24 October 1892) was an Australian pastoralist, businessman and sportsman. He played two

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

matches for

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

in 1858.

Business and pastoral career

Henry Creswick was born on 13 April 1824 in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, England. He arrived in the

Port Phillip District The Port Phillip District was an administrative division of the Colony of New South Wales from 9 September 1836 until 1 July 1851, when it was separated from New South Wales and became the Colony of Victoria. In September 1836, NSW Colonial Sec ...

in 1840 and joined the firm of Melbourne merchants Campbell and Woolley, opening their

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

branch at Anderson's Flat the following year. In 1842 he and his brothers Charles and John took up the

pastoral run A pastoral lease, sometimes called a pastoral run, is an arrangement used in both Australia and New Zealand where government-owned Crown land is leased out to graziers for the purpose of livestock grazing on rangelands. Australia Pastoral lea ...

of Creswick Creek for which the town of

Creswick Creswick is a town in west-central Victoria, Australia, 18 kilometres north of Ballarat and 122 kilometres northwest of Melbourne, in the Shire of Hepburn. It is 430 metres above sea level. At the 2016 census, Creswick had a populatio ...

is named, first surveyed in 1854. After Charles died in 1847 Henry Creswick paused his pastoral career. From 1851 to 1858 he was a partner in D.S. Campbell & Co. running a

liquor store A liquor store is a retail shop that predominantly sells prepackaged liquors – typically in bottles – usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence (i ...

on Collins Street. He earned a great profit and became known for his expertise, joining the Australian Wine Judges' Association and judging wines at the

Royal Show The Royal Show, also known as the Royal Agricultural Show, was an annual agricultural show/fair held by the Royal Agricultural Society of England every year from 1839 to 2009. The event encompassed all aspects of farming, food and rural life - ...

. The two partners bought allotments in many of the new towns; Creswick owned properties as far as the Royal Hotel in

Deniliquin Deniliquin () is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, close to the border with Victoria. It is the largest town in the Edward River Council local government area. Deniliquin is located at the intersection of the Riverina ...

, New South Wales. After serving on the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presiding ...

Creswick resumed his pastoral career and in 1873 bought Liewah, a station on

Balranald Balranald is a town within the local government area of Balranald Shire, in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town of Balranald is located where the Sturt Highway crosses the Murrumbidgee River in a remote, semi-desert ...

Road in New South Wales. His son was taken away from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

to manage it, much to his annoyance. Creswick was one of the first squatters in the Mallee

Parliamentary career

Creswick retired from business two years after being appointed a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

in 1856. He was elected as Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Emerald Hill in 1863 but he did not like political conflict and did not seek reelection.

Personal life

In 1849 Creswick married Jane, the only child of

Alexander Thomson Alexander "Greek" Thomson (9 April 1817 – 22 March 1875) was an eminent Scottish architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. Although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was ...

. Their son Alexander Thomson Creswick was born on 28 July 1853 at The Hawthorns and later became a pastoralist and racehorse owner. Creswick died on 24 October 1892 in Hawthorn, Victoria. His remains were interred at Boroondara General Cemetery the following day.

References

1824 births 1892 deaths Australian cricketers Victoria cricketers Cricketers from Sheffield Melbourne Cricket Club cricketers {{Australia-cricket-bio-1820s-stub

Business and pastoral career

Parliamentary career

Personal life

See also

References