Michael O'Grady
A typical true-hearted Celt, Michael O'Grady was born in Roscommon County, Ireland in 1824, the son of a farmer. He went to London as a boy and worked for the People's Provident Society. He emigrated to Sydney in 1855 to establish a branch of the business, and transferred to Melbourne the following year.
In 1861 he re-tired from this company and established the Australian Alliance Insurance Co. of which he was the major share-holder and Managing Director. His retirement was required by the London directors of the English firm because in this year he entered politics.
He was a friend of C.G. Duffy. They had met in London in 1852, and in Australia continued the friendship.
O'Grady went to Hawthorn where he built a house in Glenferrie Road near Riversdale Road.
In 1861 he was elected for South Bourke to its Legislative Assembly. Prior to this, O'Grady had been Chairman of the Booroondara Road Board, and also served as a municipal councillor in Hamilton. During his period of office, Michael O'Grady was Vice-President of the Board of Land and Work, and Commissioner of Public Works in the Sladen Ministry.
O'Grady was never a prominent politician. He was mainly interested in issues that affected Catholics. At the time, he was in office, the education debate was in full swing. He served therefore on the board of education in 1867-1872 regularly attending meetings of the Catholic education committee. Thus he actively opposed the Education At (1872).
He helped found the weekly Catholic Advocate (1868).
This prominent Catholic layman was knighted by the Pope for his work in organising a relief committee to aid the tenant farmers evicted at Glencagh in Donegal, Ireland. He failed to win a ministerial by-election in 1868, but was re-elected as the member for Villiers-and Heytesbury in 1870.
He died suddenly while still in office in 1876, aged 52 years. His funeral in Hawthorn was well-attended and many paid tribute to his geniality, kindness, integrity and ability.
1976 05 DTHS Newsletter
O'Grady, Michael (1824–1876)
Michael O'Grady (1824-1876), businessman, politician and Roman Catholic community leader, was born on 16 October 1824 at Frenchpark, County Roscommon, Ireland, son of James O'Grady and his wife Cecelia, née Giblon. As a young man he went to London where he became manager of an insurance office. In 1852 he attended a public dinner for C. G. Duffy, who was impressed by O'Grady's ability. The friendship begun in London was continued in Victoria when in 1855 he was sent by his company to establish a branch office in Australia. After six months in Sydney he decided to settle in Melbourne. |
| Michael O'Grady c1865 SLV |
O'Grady had been elected for South Bourke to the Legislative Assembly in 1861-68 and was vice-president of the Board of Land and Works and commissioner of public works in the Sladen ministry from 6 May to 11 July 1868, though he failed to win the ministerial by-election. He was a representative of Villiers and Heytesbury in 1870-76, and under Duffy's ministry served again in public works from 17 June 1871 to 10 June 1872. Never prominent as a politician, O'Grady had been mainly interested in issues affecting Catholics. His parliamentary career coincided with the climax of debate on the education issue; he served on the Board of Education in 1867-72, regularly attended meetings of the Catholic Education Committee and actively opposed the 1872 Education Act. These were not his only services to Victoria's Irish Catholic community. In 1861 he aided tenant farmers evicted at Glenveagh, Donegal, by organizing a relief committee which brought many of the victims to Australia; at many other times he gave advice and practical help to Irish migrants. An active supporter of Catholic charities and a member of the 1870 royal commission on charitable institutions, he helped to found the weekly Catholic Advocate in 1868. For his services to the Catholic community he was created a knight of St Gregory by Pope Pius IX in 1871.
Genial and kind, O'Grady had ability and integrity. One of Melbourne's most influential Catholic laymen, he was deeply attached to the land of his birth and the faith of his fathers, and by his generous public and private services to his countrymen and co-religionists he merited the description 'a typical true-hearted Celt'. On 5 January 1876 he died suddenly from a liver complaint at his home, Erinagh, Hawthorn. His funeral service was conducted by a score of priests and attended by a large crowd; the shops of Hawthorn were closed as a mark of respect during the funeral procession to Boroondara cemetery. Predeceased in 1874 by his wife Elizabeth Mary, née Reynolds, he was survived by five of their seven children. Although successful in business he left an estate valued at only £1750.
Select Bibliography
- J. F. Hogan, The Irish in Australia (Melb, 1888)
- C. G. Duffy, My Life in Two Hemispheres, vol 2 (Lond, 1898)
- P. S. Cleary, Australia's Debt to Irish Nation-Builders (Syd, 1933)
- Age (Melbourne), 6 Jan 1876
- Advocate (Melbourne), 8 Jan 1876
- Australasian, 8 Jan 1876
- M. Mullaly, Aspects of the Catholic Viewpoint on Education and its Political Consequences in Victoria, 1870-1881 (B.A. Hons thesis, Monash University, 1966).
- Citation details
Janice Burns Woods writing in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 5, (MUP), 1974
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ogrady-michael-4325/text7021, published first in hardcopy 1974, accessed online 12 August 2017.
The Late
 |
| SLV |
Mr. Michael O'Grady.
Villiers and Heytesbury. Author / Creator: Edward Gilks 1822?- artist. Date: 1874
Leaf from the "Scrap Album" on which Gilks has drawn a full-length portrait in the style of a caricature, in ink, below the portrait (bust, to right) engraving; born Roscommon, Ireland; businessman; employee of the People's Provident Society, emigrated Sydney 1855 to establish branch business, transferred to Melbourne in 1856; in 1858 his Society amalgamated with the European Insurance Company and he retired from the company 1861; established Australian Alliance Assurance Co., of which he was a large shareholder and managing director; connected with buildings societies; chairman Boroondara road board 1858; organised Donegal Relief Fund; prominent Catholic layman; Knight of St Gregory 1871; Hawthorn municipal council 1860-1861, mayor 1870-1871; MLA Villiers and Heytesbury 1870-1876.
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/246095
Michael O'Grady (16 October 1824 – 5 January 1876)[1] K.S.G., M.L.A., was and Irish-born politician in Australia, member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
Background
O'Grady was born in Frenchpark, Roscommon, Ireland,[1] and went to London as a boy to push his fortune.[2] In 1855 he was sent out to Sydney to establish a branch of the "People's Provident Society."[2] The next year he removed to Melbourne and was connected with insurance business.
Politics
In 1861 O'Grady entered the Lower House of the Victorian Parliament as member for South Bourke,[3] and was Vice-president Board Land & Works and Commissioner Public Works from 6 May 1868 to 11 July 1868[3] in the Charles Sladen Ministry.[2] In November 1870 O'Grady was elected as member for Villiers and Heytesbury, a position he held until his death.[3] He again held the Commissioner of Public Works post, in the Charles Gavan Duffy Ministry from 19 June 1871 to 10 June 1872.[3] O'Grady, who was created a Knight of St. Gregory by the Pope in 1871,[2] was a member of the Hawthorn Municipal Council from 1860 to 1861 and mayor 1870 to 1871. He died at his home in Hawthorn, Melbourne from a liver complaint on 5 January 1876.[1]
References
Woods, Janice Burns. "O'Grady, Michael (1824–1876)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
Mennell, Philip (1892). "Wikisource link to O'Grady, Hon. Michael". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co. Wikisource
"O'Grady, Michael". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_O%27Grady_(Australian_politician)
Born: 16 October 1824 (Roscommon) Died: 05 January 1876 (Hawthorn)
Parents: A farmer
Marriage: Elizabeth Mary - ; 6 children
Occupation: Businessman
Religion: Catholic
Career: Went to London in boyhood; employee of the People's Provident Society; emigrated Sydney 1855 to est. branch business; transferred to Melbourne cAug 1856; in 1858 his Society amalgamated with the European Insurance Company and he retired from the company 1861; established Aust. Alliance Assurance Co., of which he was a large shareholder and managing director; connected with buildings societies; chairman Boroondara road board 1858. Organised Donegal Relief Fund; prominent Catholic layman. Knight of St Gregory 1871.;Hawthorn municipal council 1860-1861, mayor 1870-1871
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/details/621-ogrady-michael
Leaf from the "Scrap Album" on which Gilks has drawn a full-length portrait in the style of a caricature, in ink, below the portrait (bust, to right) engraving; born Roscommon, Ireland; businessman; employee of the People's Provident Society, emigrated Sydney 1855 to establish branch business, transferred to Melbourne in 1856; in 1858 his Society amalgamated with the European Insurance Company and he retired from the company 1861; established Australian Alliance Assurance Co., of which he was a large shareholder and managing director; connected with buildings societies; chairman Boroondara road board 1858; organised Donegal Relief Fund; prominent Catholic layman; Knight of St Gregory 1871; Hawthorn municipal council 1860-1861, mayor 1870-1871; MLA Villiers and Heytesbury 1870-1876.
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/246095
Michael O'Grady (Australian politician)
Michael O'Grady (16 October 1824 – 5 January 1876)[1] K.S.G., M.L.A., was and Irish-born politician in Australia, member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
Background
O'Grady was born in Frenchpark, Roscommon, Ireland,[1] and went to London as a boy to push his fortune.[2] In 1855 he was sent out to Sydney to establish a branch of the "People's Provident Society."[2] The next year he removed to Melbourne and was connected with insurance business.
Politics
In 1861 O'Grady entered the Lower House of the Victorian Parliament as member for South Bourke,[3] and was Vice-president Board Land & Works and Commissioner Public Works from 6 May 1868 to 11 July 1868[3] in the Charles Sladen Ministry.[2] In November 1870 O'Grady was elected as member for Villiers and Heytesbury, a position he held until his death.[3] He again held the Commissioner of Public Works post, in the Charles Gavan Duffy Ministry from 19 June 1871 to 10 June 1872.[3] O'Grady, who was created a Knight of St. Gregory by the Pope in 1871,[2] was a member of the Hawthorn Municipal Council from 1860 to 1861 and mayor 1870 to 1871. He died at his home in Hawthorn, Melbourne from a liver complaint on 5 January 1876.[1]
References
Woods, Janice Burns. "O'Grady, Michael (1824–1876)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
Mennell, Philip (1892). "Wikisource link to O'Grady, Hon. Michael". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co. Wikisource
"O'Grady, Michael". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_O%27Grady_(Australian_politician)
Michael O'Grady
Parents: A farmer
Marriage: Elizabeth Mary - ; 6 children
Occupation: Businessman
Religion: Catholic
Career: Went to London in boyhood; employee of the People's Provident Society; emigrated Sydney 1855 to est. branch business; transferred to Melbourne cAug 1856; in 1858 his Society amalgamated with the European Insurance Company and he retired from the company 1861; established Aust. Alliance Assurance Co., of which he was a large shareholder and managing director; connected with buildings societies; chairman Boroondara road board 1858. Organised Donegal Relief Fund; prominent Catholic layman. Knight of St Gregory 1871.;Hawthorn municipal council 1860-1861, mayor 1870-1871
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/details/621-ogrady-michael
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