Guide to the Papers of the Symon Family, 1873-1998
Collection context
Summary
- Collection number:
- MS 10061
- Creator:
- Symon Family, Mary, Symon, Mrs, and Helen Symon, Ms
- Extent:
- 4.1 metres and (4 Archive boxes + 4 Medium folio-boxes + Briefcase)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
- Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of the Symon Family, National Library of Australia, MS 10061, [series/file number]'.
- Availability:
- Available
- Access conditions:
- Available for research. Not for loan.
Background
- Biographical Note:
-
Josiah Henry Symon, son of James and Elizabeth Symon, was born in Wick, Scotland, on 27 September 1846. He received his early education at Stirling High School and at Moray Training College, Edinburgh.
After emigrating to South Australia in 1866 Symon commenced employment at his cousin's law practice in Mt Gambier, and completed his studies in the employment of Way and Brook, in Adelaide, being called to the Bar in 1871.
In March 1881 he was appointed Attorney-General in South Australia's short-lived Morgan Government. A few weeks later he was elected as the member for Sturt in the House of Assembly and retained that position until 1887, when he unsuccessfully contested the constituency of Victoria.
On 8 December 1881, Symon married Mary Eleanor Cowle. They had five sons and seven daughters, two of whom died in infancy. Four of his sons served in World War I: three of them with the British Forces and the other with the Australian Imperial Force.
After leaving State politics, Symon devoted himself to the growing movement for Federation, becoming President of both the South Australian Federation League and the Commonwealth League. He was elected a member of the South Australian delegation to the Australasian Federal Convention, 1897-1898, and served as Chairman of its Judiciary Committee. In recognition of his work towards Federation he received a knighthood (KCMG) in 1901.
Elected to the Senate in 1901 to represent South Australia, Symon held the portfolio of Attorney-General in the Free Trade - Protectionist Reid - McLean Coalition Government in 1904-1905. In 1909 he stood out from the arrangement under which the Protectionists and Free Traders came together to become what was known for a time as the Fusion and later as the Liberal Party. Refusing to sign the Liberal Movement manifesto he contested the 1913 Senate elections as an independent and was defeated. He then returned to his legal practice, which he had maintained while in politics, until his retirement in 1923.
Symon is also remembered as a philanthropist. He was a member of the Council of the University of Adelaide, 1897-1901 and in 1926 gave the University £10,000 to establish the Lady Symon Building for Women students. His law library was given to the University of Adelaide Law School, and in addition he established scholarships at the University of Sydney, Scotch College, Adelaide and the High School at Stirling, Scotland. In 1927 Sir Josiah gave £1,500 to the Australian Inland Mission to build the Eleanor Symon hospital at Innamincka, and later he helped establish the Northcote Rest Home for Mothers and Babies.
Sir Josiah Symon died on 29 March 1934, and was accorded a State funeral. His wife, five sons and five daughters survived him.
Bibliographic Reference(s)
- Sir Josiah Symon, Australian Dictionary of Biography online, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120174b.htm.
- Provenance:
-
The papers were donated to the library in 2007 by Mrs Mary Symon (wife of Charles C. Symon and grandson of Sir Josiah Symon).
- Arrangement:
-
The Library has arranged the papers into four series, each of which has been described in this finding aid.
- Container List:
-
Series Files Box 1 1-3 1 1 4 Folio Box 1 1 5 Folio Box 2 1 6-7 Folio Box 3 1 8-9 Folio Box 4 1 10 Folio Box 1 1 11-15 1 1 16-17 Folio Box 2 1 18 Folio Box 4 1 19 Folio Box 5 2 1-8 2 2 9-18 3 2 19 4 3 1 4 4 1-3 4
Access and use
- Conditions Governing Access:
- Available for research. Not for loan.
- Conditions Governing Use:
- Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
- Preferred citation:
- Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of the Symon Family, National Library of Australia, MS 10061, [series/file number]'.
- Location of this collection:
-
Parkes PlaceCanberra ACT 2600, Australia
- Contact: