Ernest Marks
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ernest Samuel Marks
| image = Lord Mayor of Sydney, Ernest Samuel Marks, boarding HNLMS JAVA, 10 October 1930 (7299177626).jpg
| caption = Lord Mayor of Sydney Ernest Samuel Marks boarding HNLMS Java visiting Sydney
| birth_name = Ernest Samuel Marks
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1872|07|07}}
| birth_place = West Maitland, New South Wales
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1947|12|02|1872|07|07}}
| death_place = Sydney
| other_names =
| known_for = Member of New South Wales Legislative Assembly; Lord Mayor of Sydney; sports administrator
| education = Royston College, Darlinghurst; University of Sydney
| employer =
| occupation = wool broker
| title =
| spouse =
| partner =
| children =
| parents =
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}}
Ernest Samuel Marks CBE (7 July 1872 – 2 December 1947) was an Australian sporting administrator and politician.
He was born at West Maitland to wool broker Joseph Marks and Elizabeth, née Benjamin, and attended Royston College in Sydney before becoming a wool trader and becoming involved in the running of the family business, Joseph Marks & Co.
Politics
Marks served as the Nationalist member for North Sydney in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1927 to 1930.{{Cite NSW election |title=Elections for North Sydney |year=DistrictIndexes |district=NorthSydney |accessdate=24 July 2020}}
He was also active in local government through the Civic Reform Association, serving on Sydney City Council from 1920 to 1927 and from 1930 to 1947, with a period as Lord Mayor in 1930.
Sport
In 1888–90 Marks won more than forty trophies as an athlete.
He became involved in athletics, serving as secretary of The Amateur Athletic Union of Australia from 1896 to 1934 and as a foundation member of the New South Wales Sports Club. He accompanied the Australian Olympic teams for the 1908 London Games, the 1912 Stockholm Games, and the 1932 Los Angeles Games.
In October 1929, he was the inaugural Chairman of the Australian British Empire Games Committee.{{Cite book|last=Australian Commonwealth Games Association|title=Australian team : Glasgow 2014, handbook 23 July - 3 August.|publisher=Australian Commonwealth Games Association|year=2014|location=Melbourne}} He was Chair of the Organising Committee of 1938 British Empire Games held in Sydney.{{Cite web|last=Barker|first=Phillip|date=21 January 2018|title=British Empire Games in Sydney 80 years ago was Australia's first major international event|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1060423/british-empire-games-in-sydney-80-years-ago-was-australias-first-major-international-event|access-date=28 October 2018|website=Inside the Games}}
ES Marks Athletics Field was named in his honour.{{cite web |url=http://www.historyofsydney.com.au/es-marks-athletics-field/ |title=ES Marks Athletics Field |work=History of Sydney}} He donated his large sporting collection to the State Library of New South Wales.{{Cite book|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/18314317|title=E. S. Marks Sporting Collection : guide to the collection. Mitchell Library, [Sydney]|publisher=Mitchell Library (NSW)|year=1972|location=Sydney}}
Personal life
During his life, Marks worshipped at the Great Synagogue (Sydney) and was part of the Jewish community.{{Australian Dictionary of Biography |id2=marks-ernest-samuel-7777 |title=Ernest Samuel Marks (1871-1947) |first=Suzanne D. |last=Rutland |year=1986 |volume=10 |accessdate=13 June 2020}}
With his brother, Percy J. Marks, Ernest took part in the Jewish Literary and Debating Society, and they were founders and office-bearers of the Shakespeare Society. Percy, with Ernest's backing, was instrumental in forming the Australian Jewish Historical Society. Percy was first president in 1939–41, followed by Ernest in 1944–47.
In 1930 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Ernest Samuel Marks died in Sydney in 1947.{{cite NSW Parliament |title=Mr Ernest Samuel Marks (1872–1947) |id=1244 |former=Yes |accessdate=22 May 2019}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/marks-ernest-samuel-7777 Susan Rutland. Marks, Ernest Samuel (1871–1947), Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1986.]
- [https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/174823978 Bruce Coe. E.S. Marks and his Contribution to Australian Sport, PhD Thesis, University of Canberra, 2011.]
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{{succession box | title=Member for North Sydney | before=New seat | after=Ben Howe | years=1927–1930}}
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{{succession box | title=Lord Mayor of Sydney | before=Gordon Bennett
(Commissioner) | after=Joseph Jackson | years=1930}}
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Category:Nationalist Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales
Category:Civic Reform Association politicians
Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Category:Mayors and lord mayors of Sydney
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Sydney City Councillors
Category:Australian businesspeople
Category:Australian sports executives and administrators