From Australia’s Jewish Past: Lewis Wolfe Levy – widely respected businessman, politician and community stalwart
Lewis was born on 13 June 1815 in London, the son of Benjamin Wolfe Levy, a merchant, and his wife Martha, who was also a Levy prior to their marriage.
Lewis Wolfe Levy
In 1840 he migrated to Sydney, going into business in Maitland, moving on to Tamworth in 1846, where he bought land and established a flourishing general store. His cousins, Samuel and David Cohen who owned the company David Cohen & Co invited him to become a partner and he became the driving force behind the company’s expansion. He returned to Maitland in 1854 where he stayed until he moved to Sydney in 1862, where he remained very active in the business and all its affairs.
Lewis built a well-respected business reputation and, from the mid-1870s he was associated with an increasing number of commercial enterprises. One of which was the Hunter River New Steam Navigation Company which he chaired and a director of the Newcastle Wallsend Coal Co; the Australian Gaslight Co; the United Insurance Co; the Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney and the Australasian Steam Navigation Co. He also gained pastoral interests and by 1871 he was involved in the township of Yarraman on the NSW Liverpool Plains as well as seven other locations.
In 1871 Lewis was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the Liverpool Plains, but his disapproval of the coalition at the time led him into opposition, and he retired in 1872. In 1874 he was re-elected and represented the seat of West Maitland. Although he had some reservations, he supported Sir Henry Parkes’ government. Sir Henry had supported Lewis’s candidacy and gave his word that the flood mitigation works in the district would receive his backing and action. Lewis was not in the seat for long and retired only three months later in order to devote more time to his own business matters. In parliament, Lewis’s main concern had been to hold Sir Henry Parkes to his promise of flood works. Lewis, whilst a free trader with some commitments to land and electoral reform, was not that interested in matters of general policy. In 1880 he accepted an appointment to represent the Jewish Community as an elected member of the Legislative Council. He continued to defend the Council’s rights and privileges and remained a member until 1885.
Lewis’s inability to give much time to politics was because he was so actively involved with charitable, educational and religious institutions. He served on the board of the Sydney Hebrew School and was president of the Macquarie Street Synagogue from 1862 to 1874 and from 1876 to 1877, when it closed.
He was a director of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and was one of five committee members who established an asylum for poor blind people on land at the corner of Boomerang and William Streets in a building designed by Edmund Blacket. Initially, it was called the Sydney Industrial Blind Institute until 1946 when it became the Royal Industrial Blind Society and again in 1952 when the name was changed to the Royal Blind Society. Blind people were taught to make cane chairs, baskets, bedding, butchers’ skewers, mats, tennis and cricket nets, brooms, brushes, cradles and prams. In 1982/83, they made more than one thousand baskets. People were also taught some of the skills so as they could work in their own homes and sell their products from the Blacket Building, which stood beside a perfumed garden. Lewis served on the committee until his death. His daughter, Rebecca, became a foundation member of the first ladies’ committee and her name appears in the annual reports until 1904, when a separate home for blind women was established. During Rebecca’s time on the committee, many innovations were made including the formation of a band, sports events arranged at annual picnics – the first to be organised and held in Australia – and the establishment of a swimming club. A library was opened in 1895, the books were ‘embossed’ and these were the forerunner of the very extensive Braille, Moon and Talking Books library that exists today. An added note of interest is that Rebecca’s grandson, Major-General Sir Paul Cullen, became president of the Society in 1978.
Lewis’s wife, Julia, was born in Bath and had come to Australia when she was five years old in 1831. She lived to the good age of eighty-nine years. They parented fifteen children. She was a supporter of charities of all religions and kinds and became known as the ‘grand old lady of Sydney Jewry. She loved music and attended concerts even up to a week before she passed away.
Lewis passed away on 25 January 1885, survived by his wife, eight sons and five of their seven daughters. He was buried in the Hebrew section of Rookwood cemetery. Although self-made, plain spoken and occasionally short-tempered, he was widely respected and sincerely mourned.
An elaborate drinking fountain was built in the Sydney Botanic Gardens in his memory by his family in 1889. It is made of polished red and white granite and features a bronze figure by sculptor Charles Bell Birch. It was unveiled by the Premier of New South Wales, Sir Henry Parkes, during a ceremony on 17 December 1889.
The AJHS acknowledges the following references in the preparation of this story:-
Australian Dictionary of Biography – C N Connolly; Beginning with Esther – Lysbeth Cohen; Wikipedia; NSW Government Parliamentary Records
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