George Kerferd
| George Briscoe Kerferd | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 10th Premier of Victoria | |
|
In office 31 July 1874 – 7 August 1875 |
|
| Preceded by | James Francis |
| Succeeded by | Graham Berry |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 January 1831 Liverpool, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 31 December 1889 (aged 58) Sorrento, Victoria, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Martindale |
| Religion | Anglican |
George Briscoe Kerferd (21 January 1831 – 31 December 1889),Australian colonial politician, was the 10th Premier of Victoria.
Kerferd was born in Liverpool, the son of G. B. Kerferd, a merchant (or Joseph Kerferd, a bookkeeper, and his wife Rachel, née Blundell) Kerferd was educated at the Collegiate Institute, Liverpool, with intentions of studying law; however circumstances led him to enter his father's business. Kerferd emigrated to Victoria in 1853 with plans to open a branch of the family business, but this did not eventuate. After trying his luck as a gold miner at Bendigo, he settled in Beechworth and became a brewer and wine merchant. He was mayor of Beechworth 1863-64 and three other occasions. In 1853 he married Ann Martindale, with whom he had ten children. Kerferd was admitted to the Melbourne bar in 1867 but did not practise as a lawyer.
Kerferd was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the Ovens in November 1864, and represented the area continuously until February 1886. He began studying law in 1864 and was Minister for Mines and Vice-President of the Board of Land and Works in the government of James McCulloch 1868, and Solicitor-General 1872-1874 and Attorney-General in 1874 in the government of James Francis. When the Francis government was defeated in July 1874 Kerferd succeeded him at the head of a new conservative ministry.
Kerferd's Treasurer, James Service, was, like most colonial conservatives, a convinced free trader, and the government's 1875 budget proposed repealing the tariffs imposed by Charles Gavan Duffy's liberal government, and replacing the lost revenue with a land tax and a tax on beer and spirits. But this offended both the landowners and the business community, and Kerferd's government was defeated in August 1875.
...
Wikipedia