Elias Solomon

Elias Solomon
File:Elias Solomon.jpg
Councillor of the Town of Fremantle
In office 1877–1881
Mayor of Fremantle
In office 1881–1881
Preceded by	Edward Higham
Succeeded by	Edward Higham
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for South Fremantle
In office 1892–1901
Preceded by	David Symon
Succeeded by	Arthur Diamond
Member of the Australian Parliament for Fremantle
In office 29 March 1901 – 6 December 1903
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	William Carpenter
Personal details
Born	(1839-09-02)2 September 1839 London, England
Died
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Free Trade Party
Parents	Leah (née Myers) and Moss Solomon
Occupation	Clerk
Religion	Judaism

Elias Solomon (2 September 1839 – 23 May 1909) was an Australian politician based in Fremantle. He was Mayor of Fremantle, MLA of South Fremantle, and the first Member for Fremantle in the Australian House of Representatives.

Early life

Solomon was born in London, England to Leah and Moss Solomon and migrated to Australia as a child, living at first in Sydney and then Adelaide. His uncle Emanuel Solomon owned the Queen's Theatre in Adelaide, and Solomon's father Moss was for a short while made manager. The family returned to Sydney until Moss' death in 1849 when Leah again moved to Adelaide and Solomon was educated at Adelaide Educational Institution.

Career

After finishing school, Solomon joined another of his uncle's business concerns and in 1857 was sent to Mauritius to purchase goods. On his return, he worked for the firm of Solomon and Salom in Adelaide, and also Falk and Co. of Melbourne.

At the age of 29 Solomon headed west to Fremantle in Western Australia, arriving on 20 January 1868 aboard Eliza Blanche and initially living in Henry Street. Soon the same year he was joined by two of his nephews and together then formed Solomon & Nephews, Auctioneers and Agents of which Solomon was clerk and auctioneer. This venture was part-financed by his half-brother Judah Moss Solomon (of Melbourne) and brother-in-law Isaac Solomon (of Adelaide).

The weight of conducting business in a depressed economic environment bore on Solomon, and this was not helped by his nephews being active members of Fremantle's Amateur Dramatics Company, performing at the Oddfellows in William Street. He wrote to them in July 1869: "…that you may not be under any misunderstanding with regard to my present dissatisfaction, I will be more explicit. You have taken up time belonging to the firm in Amateur Theatrical matters which, I believe, is acting prejudiciously to the business…"

In 1881 he was elected to the Fremantle City Council. In 1892, he was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly as the member for South Fremantle, where he remained until 1901. In that year, he transferred to federal politics, winning the Australian House of Representatives seat of Fremantle for the Free Trade Party. He was defeated by Labor's William Carpenter in 1903. Solomon died in 1909. Solomon was at one time head of the Fremantle Cemetery board, which is where he is buried.

Family

Solomon was married twice, firstly to Agnes Elizabeth Bickley (c. 1846 – 22 April 1886) and after her death, to Elizabeth Stokes (16 September 1868 – 3 December 1898) on 1 May 1887. They had five children.

• Wallace Elias Bickley Solomon (1878–1950) was the first secretary, and honorary solicitor, of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society in 1926.
• Maurice Elias Solomon (1888–1977), lawyer and councillor of the City of Fremantle.

External links

• Prominent Australian Jews

Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by David Symon	Member for South Fremantle 1892–1901	Succeeded by Arthur Diamond
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by New seat	Member for Fremantle 1901 – 1903	Succeeded by William Carpenter