William Wentworth | |
|---|---|
.jpg) William Charles Wentworth, 1861-1862, Dalton's Royal Photographic Gallery | |
| 4th President of the New South Wales Legislative Council | |
| In office 24 June 1861 – 10 October 1862 | |
| Deputy | George Allen |
| Preceded by | William Westbrooke Burton |
| Succeeded by | Terence Aubrey Murray |
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council | |
| In office 3 September 1861 – 10 October 1862 Life appointment | |
| In office 1 June 1843 – 1 April 1854 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Henry Parkes |
| Constituency | City of Sydney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Charles Wentworth August 1790 Aboard HMS Surprize, Cascade Bay, Norfolk Island |
| Died | 20 March 1872 (aged 81) Merley House, Wimborne, Dorset, England |
| Resting place | Wentworth Mausoleum, Chapel Road, Vaucluse, New South Wales |
| Nationality | British (colonial Australian) |
| Spouse | Sarah Cox |
| Children | 10 |
| Parents |
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| Education | Barrister-at-law |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Lawyer, Pastoralist, Politician |
William Charles Wentworth (August 1790 – 20 March 1872)[1] was an Australian statesman, pastoralist, explorer, newspaper editor, lawyer, politician and author, who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful figures in colonial New South Wales. He was among the first colonists to articulate a nascent Australian identity.
Wentworth was the leading advocate for the rights of emancipists, trial by jury and representative self-government; he led the drafting of New South Wales' first self-governing constitution establishing the Parliament of New South Wales. The establishment of Australia's first independent newspaper by Wentworth and Robert Wardell led to the introduction of press freedom in Australia. A proponent of secular and universal education, he participated in the creation of the state education system and legislated for the creation of Australia's first university, the University of Sydney. His views took a strong conservative turn in the 1840s, with Wentworth ending his previous support for free migration and expressing more restrictive views on voting rights, though he moderated the latter upon becoming President of the Legislative Council in 1861. Throughout his life, he promoted the subjugation of Aboriginal Australians. Wentworth consistently advocated for Australian nationhood both in Australia and Britain, and gained credit from Sir Henry Parkes for his advocacy of self-government; a key figure in Australian and New South Wales history, he is widely commemorated.
Wentworth, Gregory Blaxland and William Lawson led the 1813 expedition across the Blue Mountains, the first successful British traversal of the region.