Family background
Lewis Grant Abrams was born at Sydney on 14 July 1861, son of Lewis Grant Abrams and Elizabeth née Foot. On 29 August 1885 he married Lilian Annie Ormiston at St Peter’s Church Woolloomooloo. He died at Kirribilli on 8 June 1928, aged 66 years. Lillian died on 5 September 1955.
Occupation & interests
Lewis Abrams worked as a shipping manager, and later was self-employed as a manufacturer of Abams’ brooms and brushes in Hegarty Street Glebe.He was secretary of Glebe Freetrade & Liberal Association.
Community activity
Small of stature with a handlebar moustache, Lew Abrams was a popular figure. n fluent and articulate speaker and a great promoter of the cult of games, he was a central figure in the introduction of electoral cricket, based on residential qualifications, in Sydney in 1893. He was secretary of Glebe District Cricket Club 1892 to 1900, and a life member of the NSW Cricket Association (NSWCA). Abrams was also a driving force behind introducton of Sydney district rugby union competition in 1900 and president of Glebe Bicycle Club.
Local government service
Abrams was first elected to Glebe Council in February 1893 as a member for Inner ward, and remained on Council to 1898. He stood for the Glebe electorate in 1901 and 1904 as an independent/progressive claiming to be ‘a liberal in the widest sense’, a freetrader who strongly favoured compulsory arbitration. Between 1886 and 1904 he developed close associations with a number of social, political and sporting organisations in Glebe as honorary secretary or chairman.
References
Cyclopedia of NSW 1907, McCarron Stewart & Co, Sydney, p. 660
Sydney Morning Herald 12 June 1928 p.8 (obituary)
Sydney Morning Herald 10 June 1901 p. 7
Sydney Morning Herald 25 July 1904 p. 10
Sydney Morning Herald 6 August 1907 p. 8 (plea for professionalism)