Bernhard Wise

Bernhard Ringrose Wise QC
Wise in 1898 at the Australasian Federal Convention, Melbourne
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for South Sydney
In office 5 February 1887 – 19 January 1889 Serving with Alban Riley, James Toohey, George Withers
Preceded by	Joseph Olliffe
Succeeded by	William Traill
In office 17 June 1891 – 25 June 1894 Serving with James Martin, William Traill, James Toohey/William Manning
Preceded by	Walter Edmunds
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Sydney-Flinders
In office 17 July 1894 – 5 July 1895
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Arthur Nelson
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Ashfield
In office 27 July 1898 – 30 October 1900
Preceded by	Thomas Bavister
Succeeded by	Frederick Winchcombe
Personal details
Born	(1858-02-10)10 February 1858 Petersham, New South Wales
Died	19 September 1916(1916-09-19) (aged 58) Kensington, London, England
Resting place	Brookwood Cemetery
Political party	Free Trade Party
Spouse	Lilian Margaret Baird (1884–1916)
Children	1 son
Alma mater	University of Oxford

Bernhard Ringrose Wise KC (10 February 1858 – 19 September 1916), commonly referred to as B. R. Wise, was an Australian politician. He was a social reformer, seen by some as a traitor to his class, but who was not fully accepted by the labour movement. He said, "My failure in Sydney has been so complete—my qualities those which Australia does not recognise, my defects those which Australians dislike most." When he died, William Holman said, "There is hardly anything in our public life which we have to consider to-day that cannot be traced back to his brilliant mind and clear foresight … [Wise] held undisputed supremacy as the foremost debater, foremost thinker and foremost public man in the life of New South Wales".^[1]