1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Wise, Bernhard Ringrose

WISE, BERNHARD RINGROSE (1858-1916), Australian lawyer, was born at Sydney Feb. 10 1858, the second son of Edward Wise, Judge of the Supreme Court of N.S.W. He was educated in England at Rugby and Queen's College, Oxford, where he won the Cobden prize and was proxime for the Lothian Historial Essay, finally graduating 1st-class in law. He was also a prominent athlete, and represented Oxford in the mile race against Cambridge. He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple (1883), then returned to Australia, was elected to the N.S.W. legislature and became Attorney-General of N.S.W. 1887-8, and Q.C. in 1898, being again Attorney-General from 1899 to 1904 and, in addition, Minister of Justice 1901-4. For part of 1903-4 he was Acting-Premier of N.S.W. He did distinguished service to the cause of Federation but was defeated in the elections for the first Commonwealth Parliament, and his abilities therefore were never called upon for Federal service. From 1915 until his death, Sept. 19 1916, he was acting as Agent-General for N.S.W. in London.