George Leake (merchant)

George Leake (1786 [Some sources say 1785] in England - 1849 in Perth, Western Australia) was a wealthy landholder in the early days of the Swan River Colony. Backed with considerable assets, Leake supported many of the early settlers of the colony who were struggling financially. He arrived at Fremantle in the "Calista" in August 1829 and quickly established himself as a merchant.

Leake was instrumental in the establishment of the first Bank of Western Australia which was established in June 1837, becoming its first chairman of directors. In 1839 he was one of four unofficial nominees of the Western Australian Legislative Council, retaining his seat until his death. He was appointed magistrate in 1839 and mas made chairman of the Perth Town Trust (later to become Perth City Council).

He married Anne Growse, who died in 1815 leaving him with one daughter, Ann Elizabeth.

George Leake was an uncle of George Walpole Leake, a prominent Western Australian barrister and magistrate and great-uncle of George Leake, Premier of Western Australia from 1901 to 1902.

Notes

ee also

*Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council, 1832-1870
*Leake family tree

References

*M. Medcalf, ' [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020086b.htm Leake, George (1786 - 1849)] ', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2, Melbourne University Press, 1967, pp 99-100.
* [http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogL.html#leake1 Dictionary of Australian Biography entry of his grandson, George Leake (Premier)]

Further reading

* Chapman, Jenny.(1965) "Perserverando : the Leake family in the political, economic and social life of W.A., 1829-1902, with particular reference to George Leake (1786-1849), Sir Luke Samuel Leake (1828-1886), and George Leake (1856-1902)" held in Battye Library.