John Wood (Australian politician)

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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 Dennistoun (1783-1846), an officer in the East India Company's military service from Elie in Fife,[2] and his wife Jane née Patterson from Edinburgh.[3] His father had come to Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land) on the "Castle Forbes" in March 1822. He had twice circumnavigated the globe.[4] Myles Patterson and his two daughters (including Jane) had arrived on the same ship. Captain Wood married Jane in 1828.[5]

John was born at Dennistoun House near Bothwell, Tasmania.[1] His mother died in 1837 and John was sent to Scotland to stay with relatives. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy then studied law at Edinburgh University.[6] In 1845 he went to London in England to complete his Law studies, and entered as a student at the Middle Temple in November 1845, but was not called to the Bar till January 1852.[2]

Career[]

The grave of Wood's parents in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh

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,[7] 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[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d 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.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Mennell, Philip (1892). "Wood, Hon. John Dennistoun" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "John Dennistoun Wood". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria.
  4. ^ Tomb of Captain Patrick Wood, Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh
  5. ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  6. ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  7. ^ "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: (Oct 1859 – Mar 1860)
(Mar 1860 – Jul 1861)  		Succeeded by
Preceded by
 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
Retrieved from ""