Sir Lewis Cohen (23 December 1849 – 24 June 1933) was a businessman who was a Member of the
South Australian Parliament
The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the 47-seat House of Assembly (lower house) and the 22-seat Legislative Council (upper house). General elections are held ...
for 10 years and served on the
Adelaide City Council
The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council is a local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia and is legally defined as the capital city of Sout ...
for 30 years. He was
Mayor of Adelaide 1889–1890, 1901–1904, and 1909–1911, and then Lord Mayor 1921–1923. He was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in 1924.
Life
Cohen was born in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, where his father had a clothing business. At age two he was taken with his family to
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 ...
to set up business there. Nine years later with the business running successfully, the family returned to England, and Lewis was sent to Jewish school at
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
. At age 17 he returned to Sydney and at 19, bankrolled by his father and accompanied by a friend, he set up a shop in
Levuka
Levuka () is a Local government in Fiji, town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau (Fiji), Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division, Fiji, Eastern Division of Fiji. Prior to 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. At the c ...
, then capital of
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
. He took part in public affairs there, and was elected to Levuka's first council in 1872. With his health failing, he returned to Sydney in 1873, where he remained until 1876 when on medical advice he and his wife moved to
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, opening a branch of the London Discount Bank.
Public affairs
*He was Member of the
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level.
Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...
from 1887 to 1893 for
North Adelaide
North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands.
History
Surveyor-General Colonel William Light of the colo ...
and with the
Australasian National League from 1902 to 1906 for
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
.
*He was a member of Adelaide City Council for 30 years and Mayor from 1901 to 1904, Lord Mayor from 1921 to 1923, and in 1911 represented the
City of Adelaide
The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council is a local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia and is legally defined as the capital city of South ...
at the coronation of
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...
and was responsible for upgrading the position to that of Lord Mayor.
[
*He was Chief Magistrate for 7 years.
*He was a member of the ]Municipal Tramways Trust
The Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT) was established by the Government of South Australia in December 1906 to purchase all of the horse-drawn tramways in Adelaide, Australia. The Trust subsequently also ran petrol and diesel buses and electric t ...
for 7 years.
*In 1879 he was elected president and treasurer of the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation.[
*He was involved with several Friendly Societies and served as Grand President of the ]Druids
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
for several years.[
]
Family
He married Selina Marks (6 March 1856 – 16 October 1933) in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
on 9 April 1873. Their children were:
*Henry Jessel (1874–1942)
*Hannah Maud Cohen (1876–13 June 1958), married Harrie Walter Bridgland (31 May 1879 – 17 October 1947) at Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, on the north bank of the Swan River.
History
Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl.
In 1830, Jo ...
on 31 March 1907. Bridgland, a champion swimmer, was the adopted son of Vaiben Louis Solomon
Vaiben Louis Solomon (13 May 1853 – 20 October 1908) was the 21st Premier of South Australia and a member of the first Australian Commonwealth parliament. He was generally known by his full name (perhaps to distinguish him from his uncle, ...
. Their son Walter Lewis "Wally" Bridgland (23 March 1908 – 30 July 1987), also a champion swimmer, was also Lord Mayor of Adelaide 1966–1968.
*Mark Victor Napoleon (1878–1926)
*Horace Alan Louis (1880–1900)
*Jessel Rupert (1882–1948)
*Gladys Elizabeth Cohen (1885–1966), married Ralph Krantz in Adelaide on 16 Aug 1905
Recognition
A north–south road through the south park lands of Adelaide linking to Greenhill Road
Greenhill Road is a major road in Adelaide, South Australia, that provides a connection to the eastern and hills suburbs. Its western section, running along the south side of Adelaide Parklands, forms part of Adelaide's City Ring Route.
Route
...
, South Terrace South Terrace may refer to:
*South Terrace, Adelaide, Australia
*South Terrace, Fremantle, Australia
{{Road disambiguation ...
and Morphett Street
Morphett Street is a main street in the west of the Adelaide city centre, city centre of Adelaide, South Australia, parallel to King William Street, Adelaide, King William Street and numbered from north to south. At its northern end it is part ...
is named in his honour.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Lewis
1849 births
1933 deaths
Mayors and Lord Mayors of Adelaide
Members of the South Australian House of Assembly
Australian businesspeople
Australian Knights Bachelor
Australian people of English-Jewish descent
British emigrants to Australia
Jewish Australian politicians
Jewish British politicians