Yester Grange History - Biography of Sir John See

Biography of Sir John See

Sir John was born on 14th October 1844 at Yelling, Huntingdon, England. He was the third son of a farmer, Joseph See and his wife Mary Arm. He arrived in NSW with his parents in 1853 and they settled on the Hunter River where he was educated at Hinton. He worked on the family farm and then in 1861 he took up land with his brothers at Southgate on the Clarence River in northern NSW

In 1865 he moved to Sydney and became a produce merchant - the firm became John See & Co in 1884. He then became a partner in Nipper & See, a coastal shipping line which amalgamated with two other lines in 1891 to become the North Coast Steam Navigation Company. John See became the Managing Director of the new company. He became a leading figure in the business affairs of NSW and was also a Director of the Newcastle and Hunter River Steam Navigation Company; of the London and Lancashire Fire Insurance Company; of the Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation; of the Gloucester Estate Company and of WH. Soul Pattinson and Company. He was also Chairman of the Citizens' Life Assurance Company from 1896 to 1907.

He held an interest in the Daily Telegraph Newspaper Company, was a Founder and Director of the Australian Star Newspaper Company in 1887 and also a Trustee of the Savings Bank of NSW He was known as a shrewd investor and he speculated very successfully in land.

He became a JP in 1878 and was Knighted KCMG in 1902. He was President of the Royal Agricultural Society from 1890-1907; a Director of Sydney Hospital from 1903; a Trustee of Captain Cook's Landing Place National Park and a Trustee of the Sydney Cricket Ground. He was also a Freemason.

He was Commissioner of the NSW International Exhibitions in Amsterdam 1883, Calcutta 1884, London 1886, Melbourne 1888 and Chicago 1893.

He was an Alderman of Randwick Council 1878-90 and Mayor in 1880-1881 and again in 1886. He was MLA for Grafton November 1880 to June 1904 and MLC for Grafton from June 1904 to January 1907.

He was Postmaster-General of NSW in 1885, Colonial Treasurer 1891-94, Colonial Secretary 1899-1901 and Premier and Colonial Secretary from March 1901 to June 1904.

Sir John could often be seen striding down Macquarie Street from the NSW Parliament House to the magnificent Colonial Secretary's building, which we still admire today, on the corner of Macquarie and Bridge Streets.

Sir John always travelled to and from Sydney and his electorate on the North Coast by steamer as the road north was 'often impassable and the coach mails unreliable'. He was an interesting and obviously very busy man who no doubt welcomed the peace and tranquillity of Yester Grange as a retreat from the worlds of business and politics.

Yester Grange Historic House & Estate
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