{{Short description|Australian financier and politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2021}} {{infobox person |name = William Patrick Manning |image = Alderman William Patrick Manning.jpg |caption = |birth_date = {{birth date|1845|11|18|df=y}} |birth_place = Darlinghurst, New South Wales |death_date = {{death date and age|1915|4|20|1845|11|18|df=y}} |death_place = Rose Bay, New South Wales |alma_mater = |occupation = Financier, politician |spouse = {{marriage|Honorah Torpy|8 August 1868}} |parents = |relatives = }} '''Sir William Patrick Manning''' (18 November 1845 – 20 April 1915) was an Australian financier and politician.
==Early life==
Manning was born at Darlinghurst, New South Wales, to baker John Manning and Margaret {{nee}} Hourigan{{hsp}}<ref name="ADB"/>{{efn|His parliamentary biography gives Mary's maiden name as Harrocks.<ref name="William Patrick Manning NSW Parl"/>}} On 8 August 1868 he married Honorah Torpy in Sydney, with whom he had three daughters and five sons.<ref name="ADB"/>
==Business interests==
He commenced working for an engineering firm, becoming chief accountant. The firm closed in the mid 1870s and he set up his own business as a public accountant and broker. He worked as a financier and had extensive business interests, including a director of the Sun Insurance Office from 1894, a director of the Citizens' Life Assurance Co from 1896 and chairman of the Australian Joint Stock Bank from 1911.<ref name="ADB"/>
==Civic and political career==
On 1 December 1887 he was elected an alderman for the Bourke Ward on the Sydney Municipal Council with a large majority, defeating John Young.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13676184 |title=City municipal elections |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=2 December 1887 |access-date=27 April 2021 |page=4 |via=Tove}}</ref> He would serve on the council until 6 December 1900. In April 1891 Sydney Burdekin resigned as Mayor of Sydney to travel to Europe and Manning was unanimously elected to replace him.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article235889016 |title=The new Mayor of Sydney |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=11 April 1891 |access-date=27 April 2021 |page=4 |via=Trove}}</ref> He served as Mayor until December 1894. During his time on council, he was a member of the Finance Committee, 1899–1900, the Electric Lighting Committee, 1895–1900 and the Disposal of Refuse Committee, 1895–98. He oversaw the remodelling of the Belmore Markets and played a major role in the construction of the Queen Victoria Market Building. He chaired the 1891 Royal Commission into Alleged Chinese Gambling and Immorality, and was also commissioner on three other occasions.<ref name="Dict of Syd">{{cite web |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/person/manning_william_patrick |title=Manning, William Patrick |access-date=10 October 2015 |author=Terri McCormack |date=2011 |work=Dictionary of Sydney |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney Trust}}</ref> He was noted for his management of the council during the financial crisis in 1893 and for assisting Premier Sir George Dibbs in drafting the Bank Issue Act of 1893.<ref name="ADB"/> thumb|Plaque showing "WP Manning, Mayor, 1893" on building, Hay Street, Haymarket Sydney
He was a {{Australian politics/name|Protectionist}} candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, district of East Sydney at the 1891 election, however he finished 5th with a margin of 705 votes (3.5%).<ref>{{cite NSW election |year=1891 |district=East Sydney |access-date=2021-04-27}}</ref> He was successful at the 1893 by-election,<ref name="William Patrick Manning NSW Parl"/> winning with a margin of 23 votes (0.5%).<ref name="Green">{{cite NSW election |title=1893 South Sydney by-election |year=1891 |district=South Sydney_1 |access-date=2021-04-26}}</ref> Multi-member districts were abolished in 1894 and South Sydney was divided into 4 new districts, including Sydney-Phillip. Manning stood as the Protectionist candidate for Sydney-Phillip, however he was defeated at the 1894 election by 117 votes (7.7%).<ref>{{cite NSW election |year=1894 |district=Sydney-Phillip |access-date=2021-04-27}}</ref> He was a strong advocate for Federation in his campaign for Woollahra at the 1898 election,<ref name="ADB"/> however this did not result in electoral success, defeated by 174 votes (12.5%).<ref>{{cite NSW election |year=1898 |district=Woollahra |access-date=2021-04-27}}</ref> He did not hold ministerial or party office.<ref name="William Patrick Manning NSW Parl"/>
==Death==
thumb|320px|Grave of Manning's wife Honora, South Head Cemetery, Sydney
Manning died at Rose Bay on {{death date and age|20 April 1915|18 November 1845|df=y}}.<ref name="William Patrick Manning NSW Parl">{{Cite NSW Parliament |id=865 |name=Sir William Patrick Manning (1845-1915) |former=Yes |access-date=26 June 2019}}</ref> He was survived by his wife and eight children. The second son, Sir Henry, was a barrister and politician,<ref name="ADB">{{Australian Dictionary of Biography |id2=manning-sir-william-patrick-7477 |title=Manning, Sir William Patrick (1845–1915) |first=John M |last=Ward |year=1986 |access-date=2021-04-27}}</ref> while the fourth son, Frederic, was a writer.<ref name="Frederick ADB">{{Australian Dictionary of Biography |id2=manning-frederic-7476 |title=Manning, Frederic (1882–1935) |first=Laurie |last=Herhenhan |year=1986 |access-date=2021-04-27}}</ref>
==Honours== Manning was knighted on 15 February 1894, by reference to his service as Mayor of Sydney.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26485|page=985|date=16 February 1894}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Notelist}} {{clear}} ==References== {{reflist}} {{CC-notice|cc=bysa2|url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/manning_william_patrick#ref-uuid=c8d4cd1c-fcab-9850-5b07-64d8fb3dca1b|author(s)=Terri McCormack}} {{s-start}} {{s-civ}} {{s-bef |before= Sydney Burdekin }} {{s-ttl |title= Mayor of Sydney|years= 1891{{spaced ndash}}1894 }} {{s-aft|after= Samuel Lees }} {{s-par|au-nsw-la}} {{s-bef |before= James Toohey }} {{s-ttl |title= Member for South Sydney|years= 1893{{spaced ndash}}1894|with=Martin, Traill, Wise}} {{s-non|reason= District abolished}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, William Patrick}} Category:1845 births Category:1915 deaths Category:19th-century mayors of places in Australia Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Category:Australian Knights Bachelor Category:Mayors and lord mayors of Sydney Category:Sydney City Councillors