SALOMONS, SIR JULIAN EMANUEL (1836–1909), Australian politician and jurist. Born in Birmingham, England, Salomons, the son of a merchant, emigrated to New South Wales in 1853 and worked first for a bookseller and then for a stock jobber. His mother's sister married Sir Saul *Samuel. Salomons became secretary of the Sydney Great Synagogue, and his ability as a public speaker led the synagogue to send him to England in 1858 to study law. In 1861 he returned to Sydney and was admitted to the bar. His keen powers of analysis and gift for submitting evidence rapidly led him to outstanding success. In 1868, he defended the Irish nationalist O'Farrell on a charge of shooting at the Duke of Edinburgh, a son of Queen Victoria. In 1869 Salomons was nominated a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council and in the same year became solicitor-general, representing the government in the Upper House. He resigned in 1870. Salomons was made chief justice of New South Wales in 1886, but resigned before even being sworn in because of the hostility of some members of the court. He was reappointed to the legislative council in 1887 and was vice president of the cabinet until 1889. He served as agent-general for the colony in London from 1889 to 1890 and again from 1899 to 1900. Originally opposing the campaign for federation of the Australian colonies, after the passage of the 1900 Constitution Act he became a strong supporter and took part in working out the compromise federation agreement which was embodied in the Imperial Decree of July 1900. He was knighted in 1891. Salomons always outspokenly defended his Jewish background.


ADB, 6, 81–83; H.L. Rubinstein, Australia I, 377–79.

[Isidor Solomon /

William D. Rubinstein (2nd ed.)]
