Sir Luke Samuel LeakePrint Page

The monument, erected over the grave, commemorates Sir Luke Samuel Leake, merchant and first Western Australian Parliamentary Speaker who died in 1886.

Leake was supplying tea, sugar and flour to the government in 1853 and between 1854 to 1864 his Guyon was plying between Singapore, Calcutta and Mauritius, and bringing Indian and Chinese produce to Fremantle.

He failed to win the Perth electorate in the Legislative Council in 1868 but succeeded in 1870. In his policy speech he favoured promotion of immigration, liberal land regulations, raising of loans and such public works as a sea jetty at Fremantle. At the opening session in December he was elected Speaker, a post he held with distinction until 1886. He was knighted in 1876.

The remains of the late Sir Luke Samuel Leake were on Tuesday buried in the City Cemetery with public honours. Apart from the fact that the deceased gentleman was an old and respected colonist and had for sixteen years filled the office of Speaker of the Legislative Council, the circumstances of his death evoked the sympathy of the public.  He left Perth during the early portion of the year in fairly good health and spirits with the intention of spending a short holiday in England. It was, therefore, doubtless in accordance with the general desire of West Australians, as well as with the wishes of the deceased and of his relatives that it was decided to bring the body from England to Perth for interment.

The remains of the late Speaker were brought out from England in the Elderslie and arrived at Fremantle last week. Thence they were brought by river up to Perth and placed in his residence in St. George's Terrace. His Excellency the Governor directed that the late Sir Luke Leake should be given a public funeral " as a mark of the estimation in which he was held by his brother colonists of all grades and in recognition of his services as Speaker of the Legislative Council during a period of sixteen years." This proclamation, there is no doubt, met with the approval of all our colonists.
Western Mail (Perth), 10th July 1886.

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