From Australia’s Jewish Past: Hyman Goldstein
With NSW heading for the polls this weekend, it is fitting that this week’s story is about the first Jewish MP to represent the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.
Hyman Goldstein
Hyman Goldstein
Hyman was born in London in 1876 to Solomon Goldstein, a tailor and his wife Hannah. The family arrived in Australia in 1888 and settled in Sydney where Hyman went to Crown Street Public School, before becoming involved in business manufacturing and moving on to warehousing. He married in 1903 and had two sons.
In 1922 he commenced his parliamentary life as a Nationalist Member and was elected as one of the five members for Eastern Suburbs in the NSW Legislative Assembly, but he was defeated at the state election three years later. He returned to Parliament as the member for Coogee after the end of electoral systems used to elect candidates in multi-member electorates in 1927. He also became a Justice of the Peace in 1914, an Alderman on Randwick Council from 1917 to 1928 and Mayor from 1918 to 1919.
Hyman was a shareholder in the S.O.S. Prickly Pear Poisons Company Ltd which had been organised by former NSW Justice Minister and Federal MP Thomas Ley. The company’s failure had been preceded by Thomas selling all of his shares. Hyman was one of many shareholders who had lost their investments when the company collapsed and a campaign against Thomas began.
Thomas was certainly an enemy of Hyman and it is widely suspected that Thomas had been involved in the deaths of a number of people in Australia including political rivals. Hyman unfortunately took his own life and was found dead after apparently falling from “Suicide Point’’ on the cliffs of Coogee on 3 September 1928, at the age of fifty-two. Thomas was later convicted of murder in England. The Goldstein Reserve at Coogee Beach is named after him.
Other notable achievements included Hyman being a Grand Master of the United Ancient Order of Druids from 1914 until 1915 – the oldest neo-druid order in the world, its motto is is Justice, Philanthropy and Brotherly Love.; Chairman of Eastern Suburbs Repatriation Committee and Coogee Branch of the Loan Chest Fund – business funding; President of the Coogee Lifesaving Club; and a Freemason.
An interesting observation is that more Jews served as Members of Parliament between 1850 and 1900 than during the following 100 years. They represented mainly rural and regional areas and were mostly politically ‘independent’. Over time, as political parties became established more Jewish legislators identified with centre-right political parties at a state level.
The following Jews were members of the NSW Parliament and held seats from the late 1880’s through to 1937
Sir Saul Samuel – Member for counties of Roxburgh, Phillip and Wellington – 1854 – 56; Orange and Wellington – 1859 – 80
Morris Asher – Member for Hume – 1859 – 60
Maurice Alexander – Member for Goulburn – 1861 – 72
Samuel Joseph – Member for West Sydney 1864 – 68 and 1882 – 85
Lewis Levy – Member for Liverpool Plains – 1871-72; West Maitland – 1874
Joseph Raphael – Member for West Sydney – 1872 – 74
Harris Nelson – Member for Orange – 1872 – 22
Solomon Meyer – Member for Carcoar – 1874 – 76
Henry Cohen – Member for West Maitland – 1874 – 80
Leyser Levin – Member for Hume – 1880 – 85
Phillip Myers – Member for Argyle – 1880 – 81
Solomon Hyam – Member for Balmain – 1885 – 87; Mayor 1892 to 1901
Charles Collins – Member for Namoi 1885 – 87; Narrabri – 1890 – 98
Simeon Phillips – Member for Dubbo – 1895 – 1904
John Cohen – Member for Petersham – 1898 – 1919
Daniel Levy – Member for Sydney – Darlinghurst, Paddington, Woollahra – 1901 – 37
Albert Collins – Member for Narrabri and Namoi – 1901 – 10
Ernest Marks – Member for North Sydney – 1927 – 30
The AJHS acknowledges the following references in the preparation of this story:-N
Australian Dictionary of Biography; NSW Government Archives; Trove; AJHS
The Australian Jewish Historical Society is the keeper of archives from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 right up to today. Whether you are searching for an academic resource, an event, a picture or an article, AJHS can help you find that piece of historical material. The AJHS welcomes your contributions to the archives. If you are a descendent of someone of interest with a story to tell, or you have memorabilia which might be of significance for the archives, please make contact via www.ajhs.com.au or its Facebook page.
