Sylvanus James Magarey (21 October 1850 – 24 March 1901) was a surgeon and politician in the Colony of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, described as "an exemplary citizen, social reformer and legislator". He was a foundation Councillor of the Women's Suffrage League.

History

Magarey was born the second son of Thomas Magarey and Elizabeth Magarey. He was educated at

Adelaide Educational Institution Adelaide Educational Institution was a privately run non-sectarian academy for boys in Adelaide founded in 1852 by John Lorenzo Young.B. K. Hyams'Young, John Lorenzo (1826–1881)' ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 6, Melbourne Uni ...

and St Peter's College. He worked for a few years in his father's milling business before studying medicine at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

, graduating

Bachelor of Medicine A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

in 1873. He qualified Bachelor of Surgery in 1887, and

Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...

in 1888. Magarey was an Honorary Physician at the ''Adelaide Homeopathic Dispensary'' in King William Street, that offered free service to the poor, along with (later fellow parliamentarian) Dr. Allan Campbell. Magarey was particularly interested in the health of children, and was for some years honorary medical officer to the Adelaide Children's Hospital. Magarey published two pamphlets: *''Our climate and infant mortality'' (1879) *''Most fatal diseases of infancy and childhood'' (1880) Magarey was briefly involved with medical training for Ellen Arnold, one of South Australia's first female missionaries.

Politics and other interests

Magarey was elected to the

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

for Central Districts from May 1888 with G. Witherage Cotton and retired at the end of his term in April 1897. Magarey was, like his father, a teetotaler and an elder of the

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Grote Street Grote Street is a major street running east to west in the western half of Adelaide city centre, South Australia. It is on the northern border of Chinatown and the Adelaide Central Market, and is a lively centre for shopping and restaurants. Th ...

, Adelaide. He was a founding member of the South Australian Alliance. While in parliament he fought for temperance causes and succeeded in mandating Sunday closing and raising the legal drinking age to 21. He favoured payment of members of parliament, a State Bank, and women's franchise. Magarey became a foundation councillor of the Women's Suffrage League and supported the principles of the League in the Parliament and in public. He spoke on the platform of the

Women's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far ...

, being in favour of their aims and advocating the suffrage for women. A man of compassion and of science, his clearly stated arguments were of great value to the Women's Suffrage League. Mary Lee, one of the founders of the South Australian Women's Suffrage League, said in her estimation there were four men whose names should live on South Australian history's 'brightest page' for their part in gaining the suffrage: they were Dr Edward Stirling, Robert Caldwell MHA, the Hon. Sylvanus Magarey and the Rev. J. C. Kirby. Lee said Magarey 'has never failed whenever and wherever he could help us.' Magarey was an active member of the

Field Naturalists Society of South Australia Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

, with a particular interest in seashells.

Family

Magarey's father Thomas Magarey was an earlier member of the Legislative Council and Thomas Magarey's nephew William James Magarey sat in the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible g ...

from 1878 to 1881 for the seat of West Torrens. His brother-in-law William Robertson was a partner in his medical practice; his brother Cromwell Magarey and his son Frank Magarey were also medical practitioners. Magarey married Maria Robertson ( – 7 October 1920), sister of his partner William Robertson, on 18 March 1875. Their seven children included: *Percy Rupert Magarey (1876 – 6 May 1935) married Alice Margaret Jones (1887–1978) in 1910. He took over Birks Chemists on

Rundle Street Rundle Street, often referred to as "Rundle Street East" as distinct from Rundle Mall, is a street in the East End of the city centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs from Pulteney Street to East Terrace, where it becomes Ru ...

in 1905, was wounded at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

, and was a prominent Justice of the Peace. *Frank William Ashley Magarey (1877 – 31 January 1912) married Louise Koeppen "Louie" Henderson ( –1974) on 3 July 1907. He, too, was a physician, teetotaler and churchman, and a footballer and cricketer. *William Thomas Magarey (1882–1928) married Elsie Maud Hall ( –1962) on 9 June 1906 :*Kathleen Elise Magarey (1908–1997) married Edgar Vincent "EV" Lawton (1908–1990) in 1933. He was an executive of Birks Chemists. Their son John William Magarey Lawton (born 1939) was an immunologist, and daughter Christine "Tina" Lawton (1944–1968) was a singer. *Margaret Sylvia "Madge" Magarey (1884–1947) *Donald Dunbar Magarey (1896 – 20 February 1942) served with 11th Field Ambulance, First AIF. He served as treasurer of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Australia for a time, and president in 1931 and 1932. Maria married again, to William Marshall Green, on 21 January 1907.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magarey, Sylvanus James Members of the South Australian Legislative Council Australian paediatricians 1850 births 1901 deaths Australian suffragists Politicians from Adelaide 19th-century Australian politicians