Background
Cohen was born in Liverpool, where his father had a clothing business. At age 17 he returned to Sydney and at 19, bankrolled by his father and accompanied by a friend, he set up a shop in Levuka, then capital of Fiji.
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Lewis Cohen
Edit ProfileCareer
He was Mayor of Adelaide 1889–1890, 1901–1904, and 1909–1911 then Lord Mayor 1921–1923. He was knighted in 1924. At age 2 he was taken with his family to Sydney to set up business there.
9 years later with the business running successfully, they returned to Britain and Lewis was sent to Jewish school at Edmonton.
He took part in public affairs there, and was elected to Levuka"s first council in 1872. He was Chief Magistrate for 7 years.
In 1879 he was elected president and treasurer of the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation. He was involved with several Friendly Societies and served as Grand President of the Druids for several years.
Their children were:
Henry Jessel (1874–1942)
Hannah Maud Cohen (1876-1813 June 1958), married Harrie Walter Bridgland (31 May 1879 – 17 October 1947) at Claremont, Western Australia on 31 March 1907.
Mark Victor Napoleon (1878–1926)
Horace Alan Louis (1880–1900)
Jessel Rupert (1882–1948)
Gladys Elizabeth Cohen (1885–1966), married Ralph Krantz in Adelaide on 16 August 1905
A north-south road through the south parklands linking Greenhill Road and South Terrace in the City of Adelaide is named in his honour.
Achievements
Membership
He was Member of the House of Assembly from 1887 to 1893 for North Adelaide and with the Australasian National League from 1902 to 1906 for Adelaide. He was on a member of Adelaide City Council for 30 years and Mayor from 1901 to 1904 Lord Mayor from 1921 to 1923 and in 1911 represented the City of Adelaide at the coronation of King George V and was responsible for upgrading the position to that of Lord Mayor. He was a member of the Municipal Tramways Trust for 7 years.
