Thomas Hughes

Sir Thomas Hughes KCSG, JP (19 April 1863 – 15 April 1930) was an Australian businessman and New South Wales state politician who was Lord Mayor of Sydney, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council and served as Chairman of Washington H Soul Pattinson from 1906 to 1929.

Early years and background Thomas Hughes was born in Sydney, Colony of New South Wales, on 19 April 1863, the third son of wealthy Irish immigrants, John Hughes, of Kincoppal, and Susan Sharkey. His elder brother was future Sydney Alderman and NSW politician, John Francis. Hughes, along with his brother, was sent to England to be educated as Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, and he matriculated for the University of London in 1880.

After undertaking a tour of Europe, Hughes then returned to Sydney and in 1882 entered the legal profession, being articled to Thomas Slattery and was admitted as a solicitor on 28 May 1887. Thereafter he entered practice with his brother.

Political and business career Hughes entered public life in New South Wales when he openly supported Australian Federation in 1898 and became secretary to his brother John who was at the time serving as Representative of Government in Legislative Council for George Reid's Free Trade Party. In January 1899 he accompanied Reid, as his secretary, to the Federal Conference of Premiers in Melbourne which involved placing the colony's interests in the draft constitution.

Hughes instead found success in his role as Alderman on Sydney City Council for Bourke Ward, which he had been elected to on 5 September 1898. An advocate of municipal reform, Hughes instituted an investigation into the city's finances, which would eventually result in the formation of the Civic Reform Association in 1920. Taylor supported successive conservative parties in NSW, sitting in the Council for the Liberal Reform and Nationalist parties respectively during his time on the council.

During the World War I, Hughes and his wife were a foundation executive-members of the Universal Service League and were part of a small group of upper-class Catholics who opposed the anti-conscription stance of the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Daniel Mannix and other Catholics.

Later life and legacy In his later years, Hughes was a member of the Australian Club and of the council of The Women's College, University of Sydney. Suffering from chronic nephritis and arteriosclerosis, he died on 15 April 1930 in St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney and was buried in Waverley Cemetery after a service at St Canice's Church, Darlinghurst. On his death, the Premier Thomas Bavin noted: "The name of Sir Thomas Hughes has for many years been prominently associated with the public life of New South Wales, and both the Commonwealth, and the State will be the poorer because of his death. He will be particularly missed in the Legislative Council, where his counsels and mature judgment on problems of the day were of the greatest value. Sir Thomas rendered equally distinguished service to the State in the municipal and commercial spheres of activity. He held the distinction of being the first Lord Mayor of Sydney, and during his year of office following his elevation to that position, as well as during the three subsequent occasions on which he held that responsible post, he conducted the affairs of the City Council with outstanding dignity and ability." Hughes Street in Potts Point is named after him.