Sir Thomas Hughes

KCSG KCSG (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Cedar City, Utah, United States, airing programming from the classic television network MeTV. Owned and operated by network parent Weigel Broadcasting, the station maintains studios on West 16 ...

, JP (19 April 1863 – 15 April 1930) was an Australian businessman and New South Wales state politician who was

Lord Mayor of Sydney The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Sydney is the head of the Council of the City of Sydney, which is the local government area covering the central business district of Sydney in the State of New South Wales, Australia. The Lord Mayor has be ...

, a member of the

New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in th ...

and served as Chairman of Washington H. Soul Pattinson from 1906 to 1929.

Early years and background

Thomas Hughes was born in Sydney, Colony of New South Wales, on 19 April 1863, the third son of wealthy Irish immigrants, John Hughes, of Kincoppal, and Susan Sharkey. His elder brother was future Sydney Alderman and NSW politician, John Francis. Hughes, along with his brother, was sent to England to be educated as

Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst College is a co-educational Catholic Church, Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition, on the Stonyhurst, Stonyhurst Estate, Lancashire, England. It occupies a Grade I listed building. Th ...

in Lancashire, and he

matriculated Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

for the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

in 1880. After undertaking a tour of Europe, Hughes then returned to Sydney and in 1882 entered the legal profession, being articled to T. M. Slattery and was admitted as a solicitor on 28 May 1887. Thereafter he entered practice with his brother. On 19 October 1887, he married Louisa Gilhooley, the daughter of physician James Gilhooley. They had two sons:

Geoffrey Forrest Hughes Geoffrey Forrest Hughes, (12 July 1895 – 13 September 1951) was an Australian aviator and flying ace of the First World War. He was credited with 11 aerial victories, and won a Military Cross for his valour. After a postwar award of the Air ...

, who became a solicitor and was a flying ace of the First World War, and Roger Forrest Hughes, who became a doctor, signed up in March 1916 to the

Army Medical Corps A medical corps is generally a military branch or officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians. List of medical corps The following organizations are examples of medica ...

and was killed in action during the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

on 11 December 1916.

Political and business career

Hughes entered public life in New South Wales when he openly supported

Australian Federation The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Western A ...

in 1898 and became secretary to his brother John who was at the time serving as Representative of Government in Legislative Council for

George Reid Sir George Houston Reid, (25 February 1845 – 12 September 1918) was an Australian politician who led the Reid Government as the fourth Prime Minister of Australia from 1904 to 1905, having previously been Premier of New South Wales f ...

Free Trade Party The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states, was an Australian political party, formally organised in 1887 in New South Wales, ...

. In January 1899 he accompanied Reid, as his secretary, to the Federal Conference of Premiers in Melbourne which involved placing the colony's interests in the draft constitution. When Reid resigned his seat to stand for the newly formed Federal Parliament, Hughes stood as the Liberal Reform Party candidate (The Liberals had been formed out of the old Free Trade Party and were affiliated with Reid's federal Free Traders) for Reid's state seat of Sydney-King but was defeated by the Progressive Party candidate

Ernest Broughton Ernest Clement Vernon Broughton (29 January 1865 – 15 August 1917) was a politician in New South Wales, Australia. He was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and a mayor of the Municipality of Ashfield. Early life Broughto ...

by a margin of eighteen votes. Hughes instead found success in his role as

Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

Sydney City Council The City of Sydney is the local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament in 1842, th ...

for Bourke Ward, which he had been elected to on 5 September 1898. An advocate of municipal reform, Hughes instituted an investigation into the city's finances, which would eventually result in the formation of the

Civic Reform Association The Civic Reform Association, variously known as the Civic Reform Movement and the Citizens' Reform Association, was an Australian non-aligned ratepayers' organisation that was formed by approximately seventy people at the Sydney Town Hall on 20 ...

in 1920. With James Graham, he helped to organise the Citizens' Vigilante Committee which assisted in controlling the first plague outbreak in 1900. Hughes was elected as the last Mayor in January 1902, and was the first

with the issuing of the

Letters Patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...

from

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

granting the title to the city. Hughes also became a supporter for the concept of a unified 'Greater Sydney', with a single municipal body owning and controlling key public services in the Sydney basin. He was re-elected for another two terms as Lord Mayor from 1907 to 1908. In July 1908, Hughes was given a life appointment to the

. Taylor supported successive conservative parties in NSW, sitting in the Council for the Liberal Reform and

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

parties respectively during his time on the council. From 1908 to 1909 he chaired the Royal Commission for the improvement of the city of Sydney and its suburbs. Hughes would serve on Sydney City Council until he resigned on 1 December 1912. Hughes became highly proficient in business circles and was appointed Chairman of directors of

Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) AWA Technology Services, name based on former name Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd, is an Australian provider for technology related services. Throughout most of the 20th century AWA was Australia's largest and most prominent electronics o ...

Limited, Tooheys Limited and Washington H. Soul Pattinson (1906–1929). He also served as a director of

Commercial Banking Company of Sydney The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited, also known as the CBC, or CBC Bank, was a bank based in Sydney, Australia. It was established in 1834, and in 1982 merged with the National Bank of Australasia to form National Australia Bank. Hi ...

(1915-1919, 1920-1928), and the

Australia Hotel The Australia Hotel was a hotel on Castlereagh Street, Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. From its opening in 1891 until its closure on 30 June 1971 and subsequent demolition, the hotel was considered "the best-known hotel in Australia", "the ...

Company. A firm catholic and prominent member of the Sydney Catholic community, Hughes served as secretary to the first and third Sydney

Catholic Congress A Catholic lay association, also referred to as Catholic Congress, is an association of lay Catholics aiming to discuss certain political or social issues from a Catholic perspective. The Pontifical Council for the Laity is the body responsible ...

es in 1900 and 1909. He was awarded the rank of Knight Commander of the

Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

(KCSG) by

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (Latin: ''Benedictus XV''; it, Benedetto XV), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, name=, group= (; 21 November 185422 January 1922), was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His ...

in 1915. He was appointed as a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

in George V's

1915 Birthday Honours The 1915 Birthday Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King, and were ...

. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Hughes and his wife were a foundation executive-members of the

Universal Service League Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

and were part of a small group of upper-class Catholics who opposed the anti-conscription stance of the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne

Daniel Mannix Daniel Patrick Mannix (4 March 1864 – 6 November 1963) was an Irish-born Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th-century Australia. Early years and Maynoo ...

and other Catholics. Although he remained a firm opponent of the influence of

sectarianism Sectarianism is a political or cultural conflict between two groups which are often related to the form of government which they live under. Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred can arise in these conflicts, depending on the political status quo ...

and its position in society at that time.

Later life and legacy

In his later years, Hughes was a member of the

Australian Club The Australian Club is a private club founded in 1838 and located in Sydney at 165 Macquarie Street. Its membership is men-only and it is the oldest gentlemen's club in the southern hemisphere. "The Club provides excellent dining facilities, ...

and of the council of

The Women's College, University of Sydney The Women's College is a residential college within the University of Sydney, in the suburb of Camperdown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was opened in 1892. The Women's College is one of two all-female residential colleges at The Univ ...

. Suffering from chronic

nephritis Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy. Types * Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of th ...

and

arteriosclerosis Arteriosclerosis is the thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of Artery, arteries. This process gradually restricts the blood flow to one's organs and tissues and can lead to severe health risks brought on by atherosclerosis ...

, he died on 15 April 1930 in

St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney is a leading tertiary referral hospital and research facility located in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Though funded and integrated into the New South Wales state public health system, it is operated by St Vincent's Heal ...

and was buried in

Waverley Cemetery The Waverley Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery on top of the cliffs at Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Opened in 1877 and built by R. Watkins (cemetery lodge, 1878) and P. Beddie (cemetery office, 1915 ...

after a service at St Canice's Church, Darlinghurst. On his death, the Premier

Thomas Bavin Sir Thomas Rainsford Bavin, (5 May 1874 – 31 August 1941) was an Australian lawyer and politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 1927 to 1930. He was born in New Zealand and arrived in Australia at the age of 15, where he stud ...

noted: "The name of Sir Thomas Hughes has for many years been prominently associated with the public life of New South Wales, and both the Commonwealth, and the State will be the poorer because of his death. He will be particularly missed in the Legislative Council, where his counsels and mature judgment on problems of the day were of the greatest value. Sir Thomas rendered equally distinguished service to the State in the municipal and commercial spheres of activity. He held the distinction of being the first Lord Mayor of Sydney, and during his year of office following his elevation to that position, as well as during the three subsequent occasions on which he held that responsible post, he conducted the affairs of the City Council with outstanding dignity and ability." Hughes Street in

Potts Point Potts Point is a small and densely populated suburb in inner-city Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney. Potts Po ...

is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Thomas 1863 births 1930 deaths Alumni of the University of London Businesspeople from Sydney Australian Roman Catholics Australian justices of the peace Australian Knights Bachelor Australian people of Irish descent Australian solicitors Free Trade Party politicians Knights Commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great Mayors and Lord Mayors of Sydney Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council People educated at Stonyhurst College Politicians from Sydney