Philip Joseph Holdsworth (12 January 1851 – 19 January 1902) was a poet and public servant in colonial New South Wales.[1]

Holdsworth was born in Sydney, the only son of Philip Risby Holdsworth, a respected boatbuilder, and his wife Kate (née Bevan).[2] From 1868 he held a position in the Treasury at Sydney; he later became Secretary to the Forest Department of New South Wales. He devoted his spare time to literature, and in 1885 published a volume of poems entitled, "Station Hunting on the Warrego, and other Poems".[2]

For several years Holdsworth was the Honorary Secretary of the Athenaeum Club of Sydney. He also held the position of editor of the Illustrated Sydney News for a considerable time. He also wrote a "Brief History of Australia," and a large number of poems, articles, and tales for current journals and reviews.[2]

Death

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Holdsworth died in Woollahra, New South Wales on 19 January 1902, survived by his wife, Charlotte Emily (née Atkins),[1] whom he wed in Sydney in October 1869,[2] and by his only son.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Heseltine, H.P. "Holdsworth, Philip Joseph (1851–1902)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d Mennell, Philip (1892). "Holdsworth, Philip Joseph" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
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