Family background
John Moses Murphy was born at Hull, England in 1825, son of John Murphy and Maria, and arrived at Sydney in 1828 with his parents. In 1847 he married Mary MacGrath. There were five daughters and three sons of the marriage. He died at Glebe on 9 December 1897, aged 72 years. Mary Murphy died 6 March 1903, aged 79 years.
Occupation & interests
Educated at Dr Lang’s Parramatta Academy, Murphy during his time in Glebe gave his occupation as commission agent.
Community activity
Between 1859 and 1917, of the 82 men elected to Glebe Council, two groups – the building industry with 13 aldermen, and real estate industry (house and land agents, commission agents) with ten aldermen, had the strongest occupational representation.
Local government service
Murphy told a public meeting at Glebe Town Hall in December 1886 that if Allen’s Glen, an area between Forest Lodge and North Annandale were reclaimed and made into a recreation ground it would prove a great benefit to the inhabitants of Glebe, Annandale and Leichhardt and a public park at that place would prove a great boon.
References
Australian Men of Mark 1889. Charles F Maxwell, Sydney, Vol 1, appendix, p. 30
Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 1887
Sydney Morning Herald, 9 February 1887, p. 12
Sydney Morning Herald, 28 October 1886, p. 5
Sydney Morning Herald, 23 December 1886, p. 8
Sydney Morning Herald, 10 December 1897, p. 1