Family background
Daniel Joseph Tierney was born about 1811 in Carlow, Ireland, son of Daniel Tierney and his wife Mary nee Delougharty who died in Ireland on 21 August 1844. He married Ellen Torr at St Philips Church in Sydney on 12 July 1842. No children have been identified. Daniel Tierney died at Carlton in Victoria on 22 May 1863, aged 51. He was a Roman Catholic.
Occupation & interests
Daniel Joseph Tierney arrived in Sydney on 10 April 1842 as Surgeon Superintendent of the emigrant ship Sir Charles Napier. Captain J K Huxtable had died 12 days out fromLiverpool, leaving Tierney in authority. His fellow passengers presented him with a testimonial.
In July 1842 his name was added to the List of NSW Practitioners by the Medical Board. He set up practice in Mackie’s Buildings at Market Square and also practised inWollongong. He became a qualified medical witness at inquests. From 1844 to 1851, he had his surgery at 212 Pitt Street.
In the 1850s he was practising in Bendigo, being a member of the Hospital Board and the Mechanics Institute. He moved to Warrnambool and was appointed district coroner in 1855. He was deputy registrar of births and deaths and electoral registrar for Melbourne in 1858 and registrar of marriages in 1859. He became a Member of the Victorian Legislative Council from November 1856 to January 1859. He was unseated because of inadequate property qualifications despite having property in Sandhurst, Strathfieldsaye, Warrnambool and Wangoom.
Community activity
Tierney petitioned the Mayor of Sydney in June 1844 to convene a meeting of Catholics and also to include Catholics on juries. At several public meetings, he spoke about education, about the Privilege Prosecutions, and about early closing of draperies. From 1857 to 1860, Tierney was a member of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria and the Royal Society of Victoria.
Local government service
Tierney stood for Sydney City Council in 1844 but was not successful until he was elected Councillor for Sydney City Council from 4 November 1850 to 29 March 1852.
References
City of Sydney Archives. Aldermen’s Files; Portraits CRS 54/637
Parliament of Victoria www.parliament.vic.gov.au
Royal Society of Victoria www.sciencevictoria.org.au
Society of Australian Genealogists: AGCI index; Cemetery transcripts; Rookwood Index
State Records of NSW: Immigration records
Thomson, Kathleen & Serle, Geoffrey 1972, A biographical register of the Victorian legislature: 1859-1900, Australian National University Press, Canberra
Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Index