Godfrey Downes Carter (1830 – 29 April 1902) was an Australian businessman, politician and mayor of Melbourne from 1884 to 1885.[1]

Godfrey Downes Carter
39th Mayor of Melbourne
In office
1884–1885
Preceded byCharles Smith
Succeeded byJames Cooper Stewart
Personal details
Born1830
Jamaica
Died29 April 1902
South Yarra, Victoria

Born in Jamaica the son of a slaveholder, Carter was educated in England, and migrated to Australia in 1853. He would ultimately benefit from the compensation his father received from the British government for 22 slaves upon the abolition of slavery.[2][1][3] Following his term as mayor, Carter represented the Electoral district of West Melbourne in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1885 to 1889. Carter died in South Yarra, Victoria on 29 April 1902.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Carter, Godfrey Downes (1830–1902)". Biography - Godfrey Downes Carter - Australian Dictionary of Biography. adb.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  2. ^ Fernandes, C. Island Off the Coast of Asia: Instruments of statecraft in Australian foreign policy (Melbourne: Monash University Publishing, 2018), 14.
  3. ^ "Summary of Individual | Legacies of British Slavery".