Family background
John William Steward was born in Middlesex, England on 14 July 1816, son of James Steward and Sarah Randall. He arrived in Sydney in 1855 by the vessel ’Gilmore’ and was employed in the Government Printing Office. He was living in George Street, Waterloo in the 1860s and at the time of his death on 13 September 1890 he was living in Leichhardt. He was buried in the Old Church of England Section of Rookwood Cemetery. John William Steward was married twice, (1) to Elizabeth Sherriff (1817-72) in 1838 in Southwark, England, and there was 1 son and 3 daughters, and after her death in 1872 he married (2) Mary Ann Raynor (1843-1923) in 1873 in Sydney, they had a son and a daughter. He left a Will and his estate and assets were assessed at £4,914.
Occupation & interests
Steward was a printer.
Community activity
In 1860, an exasperated Steward wrote a letter to Waterloo Council published in the Herald requesting when will council form a road ’we can venture on after dark. It is now four months since the separation from Redfern was proclaimed and we have had nothing done yet’.
Local government service
John William Steward was an alderman on Waterloo Council for two terms, in 1862-67 and 1870-72, representing East Ward.
References
‘Municipal and shire nominations’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 5 February 1862, p. 5, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13224205
‘Waterloo Municipality’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 October 1860, p. 3, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13046604