Page:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography.djvu/434

This page has been validated.
Sin]
DICTIONARY OF AUSTRALASIAN BIOGRAPHY.
[Sla

lative Council, under the Constitution Act, from Feb. 1857 till his death on May 10th, 1887. Mr. Singleton was the third son of Francis Corbet, of Aclare, co. Meath, who assumed the additional name of Singleton in compliance with the will of his great grand-uncle, the Right Hon. Henry Singleton, sometime Master of the Rolls and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland. Mr. Singleton, who was born on Dec 17th, 1812, was in the royal navy in early life. He married Louisa, daughter of Rev. Thomas Gore, of Mulranken, co. Wexford.

Sinnett, Frederick, journalist, was a son of Mrs. Percy Sinnett, a well-known English authoress, and was educated for the profession of civil engineer. He went to South Australia in 1849 as engineer to the Adelaide and Port Railway Company; but the scheme was never carried out. He contributed regularly to the Mining Journal, edited by George Stevenson, at that time considered the best-conducted paper in South Australia. When the Victorian gold fields were discovered in 1851 Mr. Sinnett left South Australia for Melbourne, and accepted an engagement as contributor to the Herald, of which paper he became eventually editor and part proprietor. About 1855 he severed his connection with that paper and became a contributor to the Melbourne Argus, with which journal he remained till 1859, with the exception of a short period spent in editing the Daily News at Geelong. About the time that he joined the Argus was commenced the Melbourne Punch, of which journal he was one of the founders, and to the success of which he greatly contributed. In 1859 Mr. Sinnett again returned to South Australia to take the management of the Adelaide Ice Works. During his sojourn in South Australia from 1859 to 1865 he edited the Daily Telegraph, and was Parliamentary reporter for Hansard. He returned to Melbourne in 1865, where he resumed his connection with the Argus and was retained on the literary staff of that paper as contributor and leader-writer until within a short time of his death on Nov. 23rd, 1866.

Sitwell, Hon. Robt. Sacheverell Wilmot, B.A., son of the late Robert Sacheverell Sitwell, of Morley, co. Derby, by Charlotte Anne, daughter of Francis Bradshaw, was born in Nov. 1823, and educated at Brasenose College, Oxford where he matriculated in June 1841, and graduated B.A. in 1845. He entered at the Middle Temple in April 1846, and was called to the bar in May 1849. Mr. Sitwell emigrated to Australia, and was admitted to the Victorian bar in Feb. 1853. He was Solicitor-General in the first responsible ministry formed in Victoria, from Feb. 25th to March 11th, 1857. He married, on Dec. 18th, 1861, Mary Blanch daughter of John Senior, of Birkenhead and subsequently resided in England.

Skene, Alexander John, M.A., J.P., last Surveyor-General of Victoria, son of Major Alexander Skene and Elizabeth (Anderson) his wife, was born at Aberdeen in 1820 and graduated M.A. at the University there in 1838. He arrived in Victoria in 1839, and in 1843 was appointed Surveyor to the District Council of Grant, becoming a Government Surveyor in 1848. Five years later he was placed in charge of the District Survey Office at Geelong and in 1854 was appointed Surveyor of the colony under patent. Three years afterwards Mr. Skene was specially employed to report on the nature and capability of the land of the colony, and in 1862 was transferred to Melbourne. He was appointed Acting Surveyor-General in 1868, and on the retirement of Mr. Ligar, in 1869, was promoted to the Surveyor-Generalship, in connection with which he for some years acted as Land Tax Commissioner. Mr. Skene retired from the public service in June 1886 after thirty-eight years of unbroken service, but was reappointed Land Tax Commissioner in 1887. Mr. Skene, who was married at Heidelberg, Vict., on August 31st, 1842, to Miss Catherine Williamson, was appointed a J.P. in 1865.

Sladen, Hon. Sir Charles, K.C.M.G. LL.D., sometime Premier of Victoria second son of John Baker Sladen, of Ripple Park, co. Kent, by Ethelred eldest daughter of Kingsman Baskett St. Barbe, of London, was born in 1816 and educated at Shrewsbury and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he graduated S.C.L. in 1837, LL.B. in 1840, and LL.D. in 1867. He emigrated to Port Phillip in 1842, and practised as a solicitor at Geelong till 1854. In December of that year he was acting Treasurer during the absence of Captain Lonsdale, and held the same post as member for Geelong

418