{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Harris Nelson | image = Harris Levi Nelson (1835-1883).jpg | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = Harris Levi Nelson in 1864 | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = 1 January 1835 | birth_place = Prussia | death_date = 10 June 1883 | death_place = Cooks River, New South Wales | other_names = | occupation = Storekeeper and politician | years_active = 1857-1883 | known_for = Parliamentarian and civic leader | notable_works = }}
'''Harris Levi Nelson''' (1 January 1835 – 10 June 1883) was an Australian businessman, Justice of the Peace and politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
==Life History== Born in Fordon, then in Prussia, to Joel Levy Nelson and his wife Rose, Harris Nelson migrated to Australia around 1857 and he was operating a store at Orange by 1860. He may have come due a family connection. His uncle, Benjamin Nelson (1813-1894), was a storekeeper, JP and twice mayor of Orange.<ref>[http://www.theorangewiki.orange.nsw.gov.au/index.php?title=Benjamin_Nelson Entry for Benjamin Nelson, Orange Wiki]</ref>
As well as the store, Harris Nelson had other business interests in the district. He was a lessee of the Orange (flour) Mill.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62403338?searchTerm=Nelson%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-decade=186|||l-year=1861|||l-title=56|||l-month=2 ''Bathurst Free Press and Morning Journal'', 9 February 1861, p.2.]</ref> He owned gold bearing land near Orange and had a 25% share in a 120-acre site near Bogan Gate where a copper mine was planned in 1880.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136707176?searchTerm=Nelson%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-decade=188|||l-year=1880|||l-month=7|||l-title=356 ''Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate'', 15 July 1880, p.2.]</ref>
As a public figure he supported a number of community projects and public initiatives. Among these was the formation of a Volunteer Mounted Rifle Corps at Orange in 1860.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63592448?searchTerm=Nelson%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=New+South+Wales|||l-decade=186|||l-year=1860|||l-month=10|||l-title=56 ''Bathurst Free Press and Morning Journal'', 20 October 1860, p.3.]</ref> He stood for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1872 and was elected.
He was the member for Orange in the 7th and 8th NSW Parliaments, from 1872 to 1877.<ref name=pnsw>{{cite NSW Parliament |title =Mr Harris Levi Nelson (1835-1883) |id=689 |former=Yes |accessdate=11 May 2019}}</ref> In the house he voted in support of free trade and campaigned for a reduction in ad valorem customs duties on imports.<ref>''Empire'' (Sydney), 19 August 1874, p.3.</ref> He introduced legislation for the keeping of dogs in New South Wales.<ref>''Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser'' 22 April 1875, p.2.</ref> He also introduced legislation for the abolition of toll roads and campaigned for the extension of Great Western Railway to Orange. He sat on 31 parliamentary committees during his period serving as an MLA.
His efforts to promote the interests of his electorate sometimes saw him criticised for being "too local."<ref>''Sydney Morning Herald'', 13 January 1874, p.3.</ref> His constituents appreciated his efforts on their behalf and in 1875 he was presented with a testimonial and two large table centrepieces made from 300 ounces of silver.<ref>''Sydney Morning Herald'', 13 January 1874, 3.</ref>
After leaving parliament he took a position as store manager for the Melbourne branch of M. Moss & Company.<ref>''Australian Town and Country Journal'', 17 February 1875, p.8.</ref> In 1880 he was made a member of the Melbourne Exhibition Commission.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149435476?searchTerm=%22“Harris%20levi%20nelson”%22&searchLimits=notWords|||requestHandler|||anyWords|||exactPhrase=“Harris+levi+nelson”|||dateTo|||dateFrom|||sortby=dateAsc|||l-decade=188 ''Jewish Herald'' (Victoria) 2 July 1880, p.7]</ref> He resigned his employment in Melbourne, possibly due to ill health, and returned to New South Wales. He died at Bay View House, Cooks River, on 10 June 1883.<ref>''Sydney Morning Herald'', 12 June 1883, p.1.</ref> He was 48 years old and unmarried. He was buried in Rookwood Cemetery.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|au-nsw-la}} {{succession box | title=Member for Orange | before=Saul Samuel | after=Edward Combes | years=1872 – 1877}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Harris}} Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Category:Colony of New South Wales politicians Category:1835 births Category:1883 deaths Category:19th-century Australian politicians Category:Jewish Australian politicians Category:Emigrants from the Kingdom of Prussia