Henry Manning

Sir Henry Edward Manning, KBE QC (18 December 1877 – 3 May 1963) was an Australian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council for 25 years from 1932 to 1958 and also served as the Attorney General and Vice-President of the Executive Council from 1932 to 1941.

Early life and legal career Henry Edward Manning was born on 18 December 1877 in Sydney, New South Wales, the son of Sir William Patrick Manning, a prominent financier and future MP and Mayor of Sydney, and his wife Honora Torphy. Initially educated at Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview, Manning went on to study at the University of Sydney.

From 1905 Manning returned to practice at the New South Wales Bar, where he established a reputation in common law and the Vice Admiralty Court of New South Wales. Manning was appointed a King's Counsel (KC) in 1927 and was appointed as a deputy Judge of the Land and Valuation Court in 1929.

Political career Manning first attempted to enter NSW politics when he stood unsuccessfully as the Liberal Reform Party candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Phillip at the 1910 election, the seat of King at the 1913 election, and again as the United Australia Party candidate in King at the 1932 election.

Despite this, Manning was nominated, and subsequently appointed for a life term, by Premier Bertram Stevens to the Legislative Council of New South Wales and then joined Stevens' second ministry as Attorney General and, by virtue of his now leadership of the government members in the Legislative Council, Vice-President of the Executive Council, on 17 June 1932. From 1934 to 1948 he was a fellow of the Senate of the University of Sydney.

In opposition, Manning was unofficially regarded as the leader of the non-Labor members but, affirmed of his beliefs regarding a non-partisan council, refused the role when offered to him. He further opposed in 1950 a proposal that the Liberal Party should form a party in the council, though his ideas for a non-partisan council came under attack from the Liberals and a Labor Party reanimating its longstanding policy to abolish the upper house. and survived by his two daughters, Manning died at his home following an Asthma attack in Randwick on 3 May 1963 and was buried in the Catholic section of Northern Suburbs cemetery after a service at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney.