18 Facts About Bernhard Wise

Bernhard Wise was a social reformer, seen by some as a traitor to his class, but who was not fully accepted by the labour movement.

Bernhard Wise was the second son of Edward Wise, a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and Maria Bate.

Bernhard Wise moved to Rugby and took work, so that Wise could be educated at Rugby School as a day student.

Bernhard Wise was president of the Oxford Union and president of the Oxford University Athletics Club.

Bernhard Wise was called to the bar of the Middle Temple in April 1883; and, in August 1883, he returned to Sydney with his fiancee, Lilian Margaret Baird, whom he married in April 1884.

Bernhard Wise was admitted as a barrister in August 1883 and began to build up a successful practice.

In February 1887, Bernhard Wise was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the working class district of South Sydney, advocating direct taxation, payment of members, an eight-hour day and free trade.

Bernhard Wise had always been interested in federation and in May 1890 suggested that a journal should be established for the discussion of federal problems.

Bernhard Wise was elected as a representative of New South Wales at the 1897 Federal Convention and was a member of the judiciary committee.

Bernhard Wise fought for Federation in the referendum campaign of 1898 and at the New South Wales election allied himself with Edmund Barton.

Bernhard Wise left the Free Trade Party because he felt that free trade was being put before federalism.

Bernhard Wise was Attorney-General in Lyne's ministry from September 1899 to June 1904 and, from July 1901, was Minister of Justice.

Bernhard Wise was now able to put through some of his ideas for social reform and succeeded in passing important legislation, including the Industrial Arbitration Act, the Early Closing Act, the Old-age Pensions Act and the Women's Franchise Act.

Bernhard Wise resigned his seat in the Legislative Assembly to accept an appointment to the Legislative Council on 30 October 1900, to pilot the Arbitration bill through the Council.

When John See resigned as Premier, Bernhard Wise was considered for appointment, however the Governor Sir Harry Rawson refused considering him to be able but unreliable and in due course asked Thomas Waddell to be Premier.

Bernhard Wise subsequently travelled and, while in South America in 1906, contracted malaria which affected his health for the remainder of his days.

Bernhard Wise worked hard despite his ill-health and died suddenly in Kensington in September 1916.

Bernhard Wise was the author of Facts and Fallacies of Modern Protection ; Industrial Freedom A Study in Politics, a more complete statement of the freetrade case; The Commonwealth of Australia, a popular book on conditions in Australia at that time; and The Making of the Australian Commonwealth, which, though sometimes one-sided and generally too much confined to events in New South Wales, is an interesting and valuable document.