Abraham Solomon Polack

Abraham Solomon Polack (23 August 1797– 12 June 1873) was an English-born Australian auctioneer and convicted fraudster.

Life and career Polack was born in London on 23 August 1797. In 1820, he arrived in Australia aboard the Agamemnon; he had been sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing a watch. He was assigned to Jacob Josephson. In 1824, he was described as a shopman and clerk. In October of the same year, he was granted a ticket of leave, and the following month, he opened a grocery store. In 1827, Polack was issued with a certificate of freedom.

From 1827 to 1833, Polack held the license of the London Tavern. Subsequently, he became an auctioneer and purchased extensive landholdings. Additionally, he was one of the first subscribers to the Commercial Bank. Although Polack's auctioneer career had been described as successful, he soon ran into legal troubles. In 1848, he was declared bankrupt after an employee stole £50,000.

In 1859, Polack was committed for trial upon two charges. Firstly, he was charged of obtaining money under false pretences from J. P. Moffit, an attorney. Secondly, he was charged of accusing Moffit, in open court, of swindling a girl out of a gold nugget. In 1861, he was found guilty of swindling W. P. Moffatt of £140, and sentenced to three and a half years of hard labour on the roads, which was then reduced to hard labour in Darlinghurst Gaol.

Personal life On 27 September 1824, he married Hannah Brian.