Family background
Henry Lewis Macnamara was born on 9 January 1872 at Petersham, son of Henry Macnamara, and Rita. On 24 January 1898 he married Jessie Annie Connolly at St David’s Church Surry Hills. There was one child of the marriage. He died at Roma, Queensland on 12 July 1903, aged 31 years.
Occupation & interests
Macnamara joined his father as a wholesale carcase butcher, with their business revolving around the government abattoir at Glebe Island, the major source of the metropolitan meat supply.
Community activity
Macnamara presented a petition in 1896 from nearly 100 shopkeepers and others on Glebe Road complaining of the inconvenience and danger of having a double-line tramway on that road, and also initiated discussion about the employment of boys in the fulfillment of council contracts. Macnamara as Mayor opened Glebe Working Men’s Institute on 23 August 1901 and was its foundation president.
Local government service
Henry Lewis Macnamara was an alderman on Glebe Council from 1895 to 1902; he was mayor in 1901. Gregarious and public-spirited, Macnamara provided a large roasted bullock, which was carried around Lillie Bridge racecourse on a large frame in June 1897 as part of a celebration of the record reign of Queen Victoria. The bullock was then deposited on a table, carved and distributed among residents of Glebe.
References
Sydney Morning Herald, 17 January 1895, p. 5
Sydney Morning Herald, 24 June 1897, p. 7
Sydney Morning Herald, 9 February 1901, p. 14
Sydney Morning Herald, 11 July 1902, p. 5
Sydney Morning Herald, 14 July 1902, p. 8
Sydney Morning Herald, 15 July 1903, p. 6