Samuel Gordon

Background

Gordon was the son of an Irish farmer, David Gordon and his wife Mary Deane.

Education

Gordon was educated in private schools in Ireland.

Career

He emigrated to Sydney in 1829 and worked in a number of mercantile houses before commencing his own company, which was involved in trade between Van Diemen"s Land and New South Wales. In 1840 Gordon established a large store in Liverpool, founded a brewery and acquired 50,000 acres of pastoral land on the Murrumbidgee. In 1848, Gordon sold his assets in Liverpool at a great profit and became a wine and spirits merchant in Sydney.

He was also the director of a number of colonial companies including English, Scottish and Australian Bank.

In 1856 Gordon was elected as one of the three members for Durham in the first New South Wales Legislative Assembly. Gordon was a supporter of John Dunmore Language, Charles Cowper and John Robertson particularly in questions of constitutional reform, education and land reform.

He retained the seat at the 1858 election and between 1859 and 1860 he represented the seat of Illawarra. He resigned from the Assembly before the 1860 election but accepted Cowper"s invitation to join the Legislative Council as a life-time appointment in 1861.

He expressed a desire to reform the council into an elective house.

Membership

He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council between 1861 and 1882. He was also a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for three terms from 1856 until 1860.

Connections

Partner:

Edward Flood