Family and Legacy
Downer married twice: firstly to Elizabeth Henderson (daughter of the Rev. J. Henderson), and secondly to Una Stella Haslingden Russell, who survived him with one son of each marriage. (The son of his second marriage was Alexander Russell Downer, who served in the Menzies government, was knighted, and served as Australian High Commissioner in London, and whose son, Alexander Downer served as leader of the (Opposition) Liberal party in 1994 and Foreign Minister in the Howard government.)
A brother and partner in his business, Henry Edward Downer, entered the South Australian parliament in 1881 and was attorney-general in the John Cockburn ministry from May to August 1890. Another brother, A(lexander) George Downer (28 January 1839 – 17 August 1916) was his partner in the legal firm G & J Downer and a prominent businessman.
He was created KCMG in 1887.
The Canberra suburb of Downer, Australian Capital Territory was named after him in 1960.
Read more about this topic: John Downer
Famous quotes containing the words family and, family and/or legacy:
“Public employment contributes neither to advantage nor happiness. It is but honorable exile from one’s family and affairs.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“The law is equal before all of us; but we are not all equal before the law. Virtually there is one law for the rich and another for the poor, one law for the cunning and another for the simple, one law for the forceful and another for the feeble, one law for the ignorant and another for the learned, one law for the brave and another for the timid, and within family limits one law for the parent and no law at all for the child.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)