John Alfred Isaacs (c. 1861 – 22 August 1944), generally referred to as J. A. Isaacs, was a lawyer and parliamentarian in the Australian colony and state of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

. He was a son of Alfred Isaacs (c. 1820 – 1 August 1904) and Rebecca Isaacs, née Abrahams (c. 1822 – 27 August 1912). He was a brother of Sir

Isaac Isaacs Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs, (6 August 1855 – 11 February 1948) was an Australian lawyer, politician, and judge who served as the ninth Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1931 to 1936. He had previously served on the High Court of Au ...

(1855–1948). He married late in life to a much younger woman.

History

Isaacs was born at

Yackandandah Yackandandah is a town in northeast Victoria, Australia. It is near the regional cities of Wodonga and Albury, and is close to the tourist town of Beechworth. At the , Yackandandah had a population of 2,008. History The indigenous people of ...

and was educated at

Beechworth, Victoria Beechworth is a town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s. At the , Beechworth had a population of 3,290. Beechworth's many historical buildings are well pr ...

. He practised as a solicitor for many years, before resigning on account of failing health. He was a member for

Ovens file:Double oven.jpg, upA double oven file:Four à céramique - Japan Auréa - 2011-0403- P1070446.JPG, A ceramic oven An oven is a tool that is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means o ...

in the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the states and territories of Australia, state lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the state upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament H ...

1894–1902 and had a home at 550 Burwood Road,

Auburn, Victoria Auburn is an unbounded neighbourhood of the suburb of Hawthorn, Victoria, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Australia, in the States and territories of Australia, state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The area is renowned for its commercial Victorian arch ...

. Isaacs married Edna Frances Davis on 13 April 1938 at "Moawa", the Isaacs' family home at 1 Goodall Street,

Hawthorn, Victoria Hawthorn is an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, central business district, located within the City of Boroondara Local government areas of Victoria, local government area. ...

. She was a singer, around fifty years younger than her husband. She had a home at Vale Street, St Kilda. Isaacs died in August 1944; newspapers obituaries were few and cursory at best. He had in 1939 left a will naming his brother

as his sole beneficiary and sole executor. Mrs Edna Isaacs contested the will, claiming that Isaac Isaacs had undue influence on his brother, and had influenced him in ensuring that she received no benefit from his death. John A. Isaacs, who had once been quite wealthy, at his death had assets valued at £33/12/6 and liabilities of £33/14/4, which was explained by counsel for his brother as "gambling losses".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isaacs, John 1860s births 1944 deaths Victoria (state) state politicians Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly People from the Colony of Victoria