John Howard Taylor facts for kids
John Howard Taylor as pictured in the History of West Australia
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | British | |||||||||||||
| Born | 30 June 1861 Peckham, England |
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| Died | 1 October 1925 (aged 64) Melbourne, Australia |
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| Sailing career | ||||||||||||||
| Class(es) | 3 to 10 ton | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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John Howard Taylor (born June 30, 1861, in Peckham, England – died October 1, 1925, in Melbourne, Australia) was an interesting person. He was known as J. Howard Taylor or Howard Taylor. He worked in business, was a politician, and even became an Olympic sailor.
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Early Life and Moving to Australia
John Howard Taylor was born in 1861. His parents were John and Mary Jane Cash. He started his career working in a stockbroker's office in London. A stockbroker helps people buy and sell shares in companies.
In the 1880s, he moved to South Africa. Later, in the early 1890s, he moved to Western Australia. He went there because of the "Ashburton rush," which was a time when many people moved to find gold.
Life in Western Australia
In January 1891, Taylor settled in a town called Southern Cross. Here, he worked as a merchant and also as a stockbroker. Three years later, he moved his business to Coolgardie. This was a new town where a promising gold field had just been found.
Taylor became involved in local government. On August 3, 1896, he was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Council. This is like being a member of a state parliament. He represented the East Province.
He was also one of ten people from Western Australia who attended the Australasian Federal Convention in 1897-1898. This important meeting helped create the country of Australia as we know it today. He left the council in 1899 to focus more on his business deals.
Taylor made a lot of money from his business dealings in Australia. He then moved back to Europe. He continued his business activities on the London Stock Exchange.
Olympic Sailing Career
In the late 1890s, Taylor bought a racing boat called Bona Fide, or just Bona. This boat was built in 1897 for Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi.
Taylor started competing in sailing races in the Mediterranean Sea. He won the Queen's Cup at the Royal Cork Regatta in 1899. In the 1900 sailing season, he won 16 out of 25 races.
Competing in the 1900 Olympics
That same year, he took part in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. He competed in the sailing competitions.
Taylor missed the first Olympic race. He was delayed because of French Customs rules. But he arrived at Meulan in time for the second race. He won this race by more than five minutes! This victory earned him a bronze medal in the 3 to 10 ton class. After the Olympics, Taylor sold his winning boat.
Later Life and Legacy
Taylor's business activities on the London Stock Exchange were successful at first. However, after a few years, he lost his money. He then returned to Australia.
He lived in Melbourne until he passed away. He regularly played the card game bridge. He was also a member of the Royal Yacht Club. A street in Perth, called Howard Street, is named after him.
Passing Away
John Howard Taylor died in 1925 in Melbourne. He was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery.
