Date of Birth: 06/06/1819
Place of Birth: Helsingor, Denmark
Date of Death: 07/01/1901
Place of Death: Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
22 Aug 1882 |
01 Sep 1894 |
12 years 11 days |
Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 29 December 1881 |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
22 May 1856 |
09 Nov 1857 |
1 year 5 months 19 days |
First (Quinquennial) Appointments under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 13 May 1856. |
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Sugar refiner and banker. Educated at Danish College and Soroe College. Commercial training in Lubeck, then entered uncles merchant house as a junior clerk. Arrived in Sydney on 26 February 1840. Joined Australian Auction Company and became a manager in 1843. Transferred to Australasian Sugar Company in August 1843. Partner in sugar refinery and distillery, leasing it to the Australasian Sugar Company. Speculated in real estate. Founded Colonial Sugar Refining Company on 1 January 1855 and became the Chairman of Directors. First superintendent and Chairman of Victoria Sugar Company founded in 1857. Director of Commercial Banking Company of Sydney 1845 until 1901; manager 1847 until 1851. Director of Sydney Tramway and Railway Company. In early 1870s became a Director of Sydney Exchange Company. Established one of first staff provident funds. Devout Anglican and member of Diocesan Committee in 1857, lay member of Board of Missions. Director of Benevolent Society and Sydney dispensary; Chairman of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Foundation member of Union Club in 1857; president from 1882 until 1901.
Honours Received
Knighted in 1898.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of George Knox, Baltic Merchant, and Elizabeth Frances Mullens. Married Martha Rutledge on 4 June 1844 at Hunters Hill and had issue, 4 daughters and 4 sons. Church of England.
Additional Information
Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: 1.
Knox family, Sir Edward Knox - papers, 1835 - 1928 (MLMSS 98); photographs in
the PICMAN Database. 2.Sir Edward Knox - letters patent granting him the honour
of Knight Bachelor, 1898 (MLMSS 6407); photographs in the PICMAN Database. 3.
Illuminated address to Edward Knox on departure for England, 1877 ( A 6913);
photographs in the PICMAN Database. 4. To the Honourable Edward Knox, M.L.C
"Fiona" from Directors, Officers, and Employees of the Colonial Sugar Refining
Company, 1844 - 1894 [Illuminated Address]; photographs in the PICMAN Database.
