George Richard Dibbs KCMG (1834 - 1904)

Born 12 Oct 1834 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Anne Maria (Robey) Dibbs — married 1857 in Glebe, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 5 Aug 1904 at age 69 in Hunters Hill, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

George Dibbs KCMG is Notable.

George Dibbs KCMG was born in the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

Sir George Richard Dibbs KCMG was born on 12th October 1834 at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was the third and youngest son of Captain John Dibbs, who disappeared in the same year, and Sophia Allwright.^[1] He was educated at the Australian College under Dr Lang, obtained a position as a young man in a Sydney wine merchant's business, and afterwards was in partnership as a merchant with a brother, (later Sir) Thomas.^[2]

In 1857, he married Anne Robey at Glebe, New South Wales.^[3]

He travelled abroad, and established a branch in Valparaiso in 1865, which involved running a Spanish blockade during the Chincha Islands War. In 1867 his business failed and he went bankrupt, but eight years later called his one time creditors together and paid them all in full.^[2]

Dibbs entered parliament in 1874 as the member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for West Sydney, as a supporter of business interests and compulsory, secular and free education, which involved withdrawal of the support from denominational schools, provided under the Education Act of 1866. He lost his seat at the 1877 election due to his support for assisted immigration. In 1880 he was sentenced to HM Prison Darlinghurst for a year for refusing to pay a slander judgement to a lawyer named Shepherd who had committed adultery with Dibbs' sister-in-law.^[2]

In 1882, he won the seat of St Leonards with the support of the trade unions. In January 1883 he was given the portfolio of colonial treasurer in the Stuart ministry. In the October 1885 elections, he won the seat of Murrumbidgee. Stuart resigned at these elections due to ill-health and Dibbs became premier of New South Wales until December. He was Colonial Secretary in the Jennings ministry from February 1886 to January 1887, and became Premier again on 17th January 1889, but was succeeded by Sir Henry Parkes a few weeks later. When Parkes resigned in October 1891 Dibbs came into power following the 1891 New South Wales election, with Labour support, in a time of great financial stress. He was elected as the member for Tamworth in 1894. Dibbs had little influence on the question of federation, being never more than a lukewarm advocate for it.^[2]

Dibbs retired from public life in 1895 and was appointed managing trustee of the savings bank of New South Wales. He had been created Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in July 1892.^[2]

He passed away, aged 69 years, on 5th August 1904 at Hunters Hill, New South Wales.^[4] He was survived by Lady Dibbs, two sons and nine daughters.

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #75/1834 V183475 47; surname listed incorrectly as Dirbs
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Wikipedia: George Dibbs; accessed 20 Feb 2020
3. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #1148/1857
4. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #9617/1904

• Bruce E. Mansfield, Dibbs, Sir George Richard (1834–1904), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dibbs-sir-george-richard-3408/text5179, published first in hardcopy 1972, accessed online 22 January 2021.

• Inscription 4896 - George Richard (Sir) Dibbs from the Australian Cemeteries Index. first accessed online on the 22nd of January, 2021 at: https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=4896 (no gravestone photograph)

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/88206427/george-richard-dibbs : accessed 22 January 2021), memorial page for George Richard Dibbs (12 Oct 1834–5 Aug 1904), Find a Grave Memorial no. 88206427, citing St. Thomas Rest Park, Crows Nest, North Sydney Council, New South Wales, Australia ; Maintained by elizabeth (contributor 47692192) . (daughters gravestone only)