John Wood (Australian politician)
John Dennistoun Wood (4 July 1829 – 23 October 1914)[1] was an Australian politician, a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and, later, of the Tasmanian House of Assembly.[1]
Early life
Wood was the son of Captain Patrick Wood, of the East India Company's military service,[2] and his wife Jane née Patterson;[3] he was born at Bothwell, Tasmania.[1] When eleven years of age he went to England to complete his education, and entered as a student at the Middle Temple in November 1845, but was not called to the Bar till January 1852.[2]
Career
In 1853 Wood went out to Victoria and entered on the practice of his profession before the Supreme Court in Melbourne. In March 1857 he was appointed Solicitor-General in the first John O'Shanassy Government,[4] which however, only held office till 29 April.[2] On 1 April 1857 he was returned to the Legislative Assembly for the Ovens district.[3] In the Nicholson administration, Wood was Attorney-General from 27 October 1859 to 26 November 1860,[3] and he was Minister of Justice in the third O'Shanassy Cabinet from November 1861 to June 1863.[3] Having been defeated for the Ovens, and subsequently for Gippsland, Wood ultimately secured his return for Warrnambool. Soon after his retirement, with his colleagues in the O'Shanassy Ministry, Wood left Victoria, and took up his residence in London, where he practised his profession mainly before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in colonial appeal cases. In 1889 he returned to Victoria, and resumed practice at the local Bar.[2]
Wood held the seat of Cumberland in the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1903 to 1909.[1]
References
- Eastwood, Jill. "Wood, John Dennistoun (1829–1914)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 14 April 2013 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Mennell, Philip (1892). . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
- "John Dennistoun Wood". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria.
- "Appointment Solicitor General John Wood". Victorian Government Gazette. 11 March 1857. p. 1857:469.
| Victorian Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Daniel Cameron |
Member for Ovens sole member Apr 1857 - Sep 1859 With: Alexander Keefer (Oct 1859 – Mar 1860) John Donald (Mar 1860 – Jul 1861) |
Succeeded by William Charles Weekes Peter Wright |
| Preceded by Thomas Manifold |
Member for Warrnambool December 1861 – August 1864 |
Succeeded by John Dane |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Henry Samuel Chapman |
Attorney-General of Victoria 27 October 1859 – 25 November 1860 |
Succeeded by Richard Davies Ireland |
| Preceded by Robert Sitwell |
Solicitor-General of Victoria 11 March 1857- 29 April 1857 |
Succeeded by Thomas Fellows |
| Tasmanian House of Assembly | ||
| Preceded by Nicholas John Brown |
Member for Cumberland 1903-1909 |
Hare-Clark electoral model adopted |