Lot 3243

Description

Intercolonial Exhibition Victoria, 1866-67, in bronze (220mm) uniface electrotype by C.Summers, awarded to 'O.B.Ebsworth', impressed in relief. Mounted in a wooden frame (glazed), extremely fine.

In Wool Skins in Wool and Hair, Class II Section 4 - O.B. Ebsworth awarded Honourable Mention for good quality, ordinary scoured wool.

Octavius Bayliffe Ebsworth, wool-broker and manufacturer, was born in London in 1827. He came to Sydney in 1848 with a speculative cargo however he found the colonial market depressed and about a year later went to San Francisco where he worked as a merchant and commission agent before returning to Australia. He held the position of manager of Thomas Barker's tweed mill in Sydney in 1853-54 and in 1855 became the wool specialist in Mort & Co. He had a rocky relationship with one of the business partners and was dismissed, but later returned only to leave again and set up his own business in opposition, but it failed. In 1860-70 he owned Barker's mill in Sussex Street, which manufactured a large variety of cloths and ginned local cotton for export to England during the American civil war. He also had a wool-washing establishment and bought wool, tallow, hide and cotton for numerous overseas and local firms. He held several other positions with prominent organisations. He died of diphtheria at Cintra, Burwood, on 23 June 1870 and was buried in St Stephen's churchyard, Camperdown.