Sir Adrian Knox (1863 - 1932)

Date of birth:

Sun 29 November 1863

Place of birth:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Date of death:

Wed 27 April 1932

Place of death:

Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary activity

Information about members' parliamentary service including their positions held and biography.

Positions
PositionStartEndPeriodNotes
Collision between the “Sol” and “Alathea” steamers Committee No.26 Tue 22 September 1896Wed 11 November 18961 month 21 days
Member for Woollahra Wed 24 July 1895Fri 08 July 18982 years 11 months 15 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly Tue 17 July 1894Fri 08 July 18983 years 11 months 22 days
Member for Woollahra Tue 17 July 1894Fri 05 July 189511 months 19 days
Biography

Political party activity

Freetrade.

Community activity

President of Australian Jockey Club 1906 - 1919.

Honours Received

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) 1918; Privy Councillor (PC) 2 March 1920; and Knight of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) 1921. Kings Counsel (KC) 1906

Personal information

Son of Sir Edward Knox, the founder of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR), and his wife Martha Rutledge. Married Florence Lawson (a descendant of the explorer William Lawson) at Christ Church, Bong Bong on 5 February 1897 and had issue, 2 daughters and 1 son. Church of England. Died of heart disease at his home at Woollahra and was cremated after a service at All Saints Church.

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Lawyer (barrister). Educated at Waverley House, H. E Southey's School, Mittagong, then Harrow and Cambridge (LL. B). Admitted to Inner Temple; returned to Sydney in and was admitted to the Colonial Bar on 26 July 1886.; read with his brother, succeeded him in practice and became a leader at Sydney Equity Bar. By the 1900's Knox was a leader at the Bar and took silk in February 1906. Became known as an outstanding constitutional lawyer. Chief Justice of High Court of Australia 1919 - 1930. Red Cross Commissioner in Egypt during 1914 - 1918 war. Owned and raced several horses. Recreational interests include horse racing, cricket, golf, sailing and fishing on the south coast.

Additional information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9. Helen Rutledge, My Grandfather's House, Doubleday, Sydney, 1986 Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Sir Adrian Knox - papers, 1818 - 1819 (MLMSS A6911)

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