Henry Gyles Turner | |
|---|---|
 Henry Gyles Turner (photographed in about 1910). | |
| Born | Henry Gyles Turner 12 December 1831 Kensington, London, England |
| Died | 30 November 1920 (aged 88) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, writer, historian |
| Spouse |
Helen Ramsay (m. 1855) |
| Parents |
|
Henry Gyles Turner (12 December 1831 – 30 November 1920) was a notable Australian banker, writer and historian. He entered the banking profession as a clerk in London, and in 1855 emigrated to Melbourne where he advanced his career. In 1870 Turner was appointed general manager of the Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd., a position he held until his retirement in 1901.
Under Turner's management the Commercial Bank expanded its business to become a major Australian bank. During the 1880s the colony of Victoria underwent a rapid and unrestricted period of real estate inflation and land speculation, during which the Commercial Bank extended loans to the land finance companies and speculators. The boom ended by the early 1890s and the subsequent fall in property prices led to bankruptcies, the collapse of building societies and a loss of confidence in the banking sector. By early 1893, with depositors increasingly withdrawing their savings, the Commercial Bank was on the brink of collapse and in early April it suspended deposit withdrawal payments. Under Turner's management the bank, in order to survive, was compelled to undertake a radical reconstruction of its finances, a process that took many years.
Turner had deep interest in the arts and, during his working life and into his retirement, he pursued a wide range of cultural interests, taking leading roles in associated organisations. He had a particular interest in literature, establishing and editing literary magazines and, in 1898, co-writing a volume surveying the development of Australian literature. Turner was a prolific writer on a range of cultural, historical and political subjects, producing articles, publications and delivering lectures. Turner's A History of the Colony of Victoria (in two volumes) was published in 1904.