Henry Edward Downer


Henry Edward Downer was a South Australian politician. He was a brother of Sir John Downer and George Downer, and a noted lawyer and businessman.
Henry Edward Downer was born in Portsmouth, England and emigrated to Australia in 1838 with his parents Henry and Jane, arriving in Adelaide in June 1838. His father ran a grocery store in Hindley Street, in 1848 took on as partner Thomas Graves, who bought him out two years later, later was landlord of the Blenheim Hotel on the same street; they lived first at Hindley Street, followed by South Terrace, then at "St. Bernard's", Magill, where he died after a long illness.
Henry received an education at Francis Haire's academy and was articled to the legal firm of Wigley & Richman, working for a time as law clerk. He was called to the Bar in 1859.
He was appointed Commissioner for Insolvency in 1865 and filled that position until 1881 when he resigned in order to contest the South Australian House of Assembly for the seat of Encounter Bay. He entered Parliament in 1881 and held the seat until 1896, for two of those terms in conjunction with Simpson Newland.
He was appointed Attorney-General of South Australia in May 1890 in the Cockburn ministry, succeeding F. F. Turner, and lost the post with the swearing-in of the Playford government the following year. His political achievements included:
He was an active Freemason and office-holder of the Anglican Church. He was a keen horseman and twice appointed master of the Adelaide Hunt Club.

Family

H. E. Downer married Maria Martin Haggar on 13 August 1859. They had a home "Lyndhurst" on South Terrace, Adelaide. Their children included:
He died at the home of his son-in-law Otto Schomburgk.