Nicholas Fitzgerald (politician)
Nicholas Fitzgerald | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Galway, Ireland |
| Died | 17 August 1908 (aged 79) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, company executive, politician |
| Known for | Establishing Castlemaine Brewery, chairman of Castlemaine Brewery Company (Melbourne), member of Victorian Legislative Council |
Nicholas Fitzgerald (7 August 1829 – 17 August 1908) was a prominent Australian entrepreneur in the brewing industry, a company executive, and a politician. He played a key role in establishing the Castlemaine Brewery in Melbourne, acted as chairman of the Castlemaine Brewery Company (Melbourne), and held a seat in the Victorian Legislative Council from 1864 until 1907.
Early life and business career
Born in Galway, Ireland to parents Francis Fitzgerald and Eleanor Joyes, Fitzgerald pursued his education at Trinity College, Dublin and Queen's College, Galway, later enrolling at the King's Inns in 1848. His early professional experiences included working in Ceylon and India. In 1859, he joined his brother Edward Fitzgerald in Victoria, who had founded a brewery in Castlemaine two years earlier. Together, they expanded their brewing operations significantly. Their brewery interests extended throughout Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. In 1872, Nicholas partnered with J. B. Perrins to launch a Melbourne-based brewery, which was incorporated as the Castlemaine Brewery Company (Melbourne) Ltd in 1885. He maintained the chairmanship until the company's integration into Carlton and United Breweries in 1907, at which point he retired from his business pursuits.
Political career
Fitzgerald represented various constituencies in the Victorian Legislative Council: North Western Province from 1864 to 1882, North Central Province between 1882 and 1904, and Southern Province from 1904 until his passing in 1908. He also served as a delegate for Victoria at the 1891 Federal Convention held in Sydney and at the 1894 Colonial Conference in Ottawa, where he additionally represented Tasmania.
Personal life
In 1863, Fitzgerald wed Marianne O'Shanassy, with whom he had seven sons. Among their children were Percy Fitzgerald, who distinguished himself as both a first-class cricketer and a brigadier general in the British Army, and Francis Fitzgerald, who achieved recognition as a first-class cricketer as well as a barrister. Nicholas Fitzgerald passed away on 17 August 1908 in St Kilda.