The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Murray, Hon. Sir Terence Aubrey

1414285The Dictionary of Australasian Biography — Murray, Hon. Sir Terence AubreyPhilip Mennell

Murray, Hon. Sir Terence Aubrey, M.L.C., sometime President of the Legislative Council of New South Wales, was born at Limerick in 1810, and went out to New South Wales in 1827, with his father, who, after spending seven years in Australia, had returned to Ireland on sick leave in the previous year. He spent four years on his father's station at Lake George, and on visiting Sydney in 1833 was gazetted a magistrate, in which capacity he assisted Mr. Waddy (who commanded the Mounted Police) in repressing bushrangers. In 1843 he was elected to the first Legislative Council of New South Wales for Murray, King and Georgiana, and retained a seat in that body till 1856, when responsible government was inaugurated; and he was returned to the Lower Chamber (then first instituted) for the Southern boroughs. He was Secretary for Lands and Works in the first Cowper Government from August to Oct. 1856, and acted as Auditor-General in addition from August to September. He was again head of the Lands and Works Department in the second Cowper Ministry, from Sept. 1857 to Jan. 1858, when he resigned. In Jan. 1860 he succeeded Sir Daniel Cooper as Speaker of the Assembly, and held that position till Oct. 1862, when he was nominated to the Upper House, with the position of President, which he held till his death in 1873. He was knighted in 1869, and married, as his second wife, Agnes, third daughter of John Edwards, of Fairlawn House, Hammersmith, near London, who survived him, and died in Feb. 1890, after living to witness the extraordinary success of her eldest son, for whose education she made considerable sacrifices. Sir T. A. Murray died on June 22nd, 1873.