E.G. FitzGibbon Esq., Lafayette Studios, Portrait, Town Clerk,
Summary
The Art and Heritage Collection has a large portraiture holding, both formal portraits, such as this photographic half-length of Edmund Gerald FitzGibbon (1825–1905), and contemporary and informal depictions of the many individuals – famous and not – who shape, and have shaped, the culture and narrative of Melbourne. This photograph was taken by the Melbourne-based Lafayette Studios, which executed much portraiture through the early decades of the 20th century. Hands squarely on hips and staring straight down the barrel of the camera, Town Clerk FitzGibbon looks like a man who would brook no opposition.
Of Irish descent, Edmund FitzGibbon arrived in Victoria from London in 1852. After a spell on the goldfields and as a proof reader for the Legislative Council, he became a clerical assistant for the Melbourne City Council. Following the resignation of Town Clerk William Kerr and the untimely death of his deputy, the city’s administrative responsibilities fell to FitzGibbon. Soon after, he was appointed the third town clerk of Melbourne, a position he held from 1856 to 1891. Through his long term, FitzGibbon demonstrated that he took the ‘public’ in public service most seriously. He was responsible for securing many parks and gardens for the public’s outdoor pleasure and for the laying of the city’s first tram tracks. He also negotiated with government and local municipalities for the establishment of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works; he then became first chair of this board, responsible for the city’s water and sewerage management.
