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 Colony The Swan River Colony, also known as the Swan River Settlement, or just Swan River, was a British colony established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. This initial settlement place on the Swan River was soon named Perth, and it ...

in Western Australia, and lost a fortune when it failed. He was also a noted philanthropist. He died in London aged 39.

Port Levy Port Levy () is a long, sheltered bay and settlement on Banks Peninsula in Canterbury, New Zealand. The current population is under 100, but in the mid-19th century it was the largest Māori settlement in Canterbury with a population of about 40 ...

Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...

, Canterbury, New Zealand is named after him.

Career

At age 19, Levey was sentenced in October 1813 at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales to seven years of transportation for his alleged involvement in the theft of of tea and a wooden chest. In January 1815, he reached Sydney and quickly became a businessperson. He was exonerated in February 1819 and in the same month he married Ann, whose father was a wealthy landowner. They had two children, a son born in 1819 and a daughter born in 1822 who died in infancy. Levey's wife left him for another lover and died in February 1824; Levey would remain a bachelor for the rest of his life. Levey found success as a shipbroker and reportedly had an annual salary of £60,000 by 1825. Among other things, he owned part of a water mill in Liverpool, ran a rope factory, and had land and livestock in Argyle and Cumberland. After being pardoned in 1819, Levey worked for the Bank of New South Wales, where he pushed for lower interest rates and partnership with English banks. He was also a trustee for the Sydney Public Grammar School. In 1825, he partnered with Daniel Cooper and founded Cooper & Levey which was headquartered at the Waterloo Waterhouse in George Street, Sydnet. The firm had wide-ranging interests, including in the import and export of goods, ship-building, wool-trading and whaling. By 1828, it was among the country's biggest stock-owners; Cooper & Levey eventually owned most of the land in Waterloo, Alexandria, Redfern, Randwick and Neutral Bay.

Later years and death

In December 1829, Levey met Thomas Peel, who convinced him to back the

in Western Australia. Levey became the director of Thomas Peel & Co. in London, although the partnership ultimately crumbled due to Peel's mismanagement. The company's £20,000 capital was entirely provided for by Levey, who even sold the land he owned in Sydney to purchase supplies for Peel and the other Swan River colonists. Levey died in London on 10 October 1833 at age 39, having been sick for some time. He bequeathed £500 to the Sydney College (later the Sydney Grammar School), making him the first benefactor of the University of Sydney. His real estate in New South Wales, which took ten years to liquidate, was worth an estimated £14,332.

Personal life

Levey was Jewish. His success in New South Wales triggered the migration of many relatives. His brother

Barnett Barnett is both a surname and a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname Barnett is an Anglo-Saxon and Old French surname that came after the Norman Invasion.The original Anglo-Saxon spelling is baernet which means'the ...

was the first free Jewish settler. His brother Isaac arrived shortly after Levey's death and was also a successful businessman and philanthropist.

Career

Later years and death

Personal life

References

Further reading