Harris Levi Nelson (1 January 1835 – 10 June 1883) was an Australian businessman, Justice of the Peace and politician who served as a member of the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament Ho ...

Life History

Born in Fordon, then in

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

, to Joel Levy Nelson and his wife Rose, Harris Nelson migrated to Australia around 1857 and he was operating a store at

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

by 1860. He may have come due a family connection. His uncle, Benjamin Nelson (1813-1894), was a storekeeper, JP and twice mayor of Orange. As well as the store, Harris Nelson had other business interests in the district. He was a lessee of the Orange (flour) Mill. He owned gold bearing land near Orange and had a 25% share in a 120-acre site near

Bogan Gate Bogan Gate is a small village in Parkes Shire of the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. At the , Bogan Gate and the surrounding area had a population of 307. Bogan Gate is derived from the local Aboriginal word meaning "the birthpl ...

where a copper mine was planned in 1880. As a public figure he supported a number of community projects and public initiatives. Among these was the formation of a Volunteer Mounted Rifle Corps at Orange in 1860. He stood for the

in 1872 and was elected. He was the member for

in the 7th and 8th NSW Parliaments, from 1872 to 1877. In the house he voted in support of

free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. It can also be understood as the free market idea applied to international trade. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold econ ...

and campaigned for a reduction in

ad valorem An ''ad valorem'' tax (Latin for "according to value") is a tax whose amount is based on the value of a transaction or of property. It is typically imposed at the time of a transaction, as in the case of a sales tax or value-added tax (VAT). An ...

customs duties on imports. He introduced legislation for the keeping of dogs in New South Wales. He also introduced legislation for the abolition of

toll roads A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or '' toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemente ...

and campaigned for the extension of Great Western Railway to Orange. He sat on 31 parliamentary committees during his period serving as an MLA. His efforts to promote the interests of his electorate sometimes saw him criticised for being "too local." His constituents appreciated his efforts on their behalf and in 1875 he was presented with a testimonial and two large table

centrepiece A centrepiece or centerpiece is an important item of a display, usually of a table setting. Centrepieces help set the theme of the decorations and bring extra decorations to the room. A centrepiece also refers to any central or important object ...

s made from 300 ounces of silver. After leaving parliament he took a position as store manager for the

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 ...

branch of M. Moss & Company. In 1880 he was made a member of the Melbourne Exhibition Commission. He resigned his employment in Melbourne, possibly due to ill health, and returned to New South Wales. He died at Bay View House, Cooks River, on 10 June 1883.''Sydney Morning Herald'', 12 June 1883, p.1. He was 48 years old and unmarried. He was buried in

Rookwood Cemetery Rookwood Cemetery (officially named Rookwood Necropolis) is a heritage-listed cemetery in Rookwood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere and is the world's largest remaining operating ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Harris Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1835 births 1883 deaths 19th-century Australian politicians Jewish Australian politicians People from the Kingdom of Prussia