The Sunderland man dubbed the most influential Mackem in history

Sandy Phillips has put forward his own suggestion and it’s a Sunderland man who twice became the Premier of Australia.

Is Sandy right. Is his ancestor top of the list or do you know different? First, let’s take a look at Sandy’s own contribution.

What a man Frank Wilson was.

Twice Premier of Australia, the founder of the University of Western Australia, managing director of a timber company.

He did it all after emigrating from Monkwearmouth and was given the Freedom of Sunderland when he returned.

His descendant Sandy, a retired chartered accountant, contacted the Sunderland Echo to tell us: “Given all Frank achieved, I believe that he is the Sunderland citizen who is the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time).”

Is he right or do you have other ideas?

The story starts at the turn of the 19th century when Sandy’s several times great cousin, Annie Phillips, married Monkwearmouth-born Frank and they emigrated to Australia.

Frank was the “son of a prominent Sunderland family and had been privately educated in Germany and Sheffield.”

By October 1891, he was managing director of the Canning Jarrah Timber Company. He later held other directorships and was president of the Perth

Chamber of Commerce.

From 1895, he was involved in local politics and progressed to represent Canning in the Western Australia Legislative Assembly where he sat in opposition to Premier John Forrest.

Top politician, business boss and university founder

"Frank had a successful business career and went into politics and was twice Premier of Western Australia in 1909 and 1911,” said Sandy.

"It was during 1911 under his Premiership, and with the considerable generosity of wealthy donors, the University of Western Australia (UWA) was founded.

"Western Australia comprises two fifths of the land mass of Australia and is bigger in area than the whole of Western Europe.

"Yet even today, it has a population only of around 5 million people.

"At that time Western Australia was considered a newcomer compared with the established states of New South Wales and Victoria so to found the first university was a great moment.”

He was awarded the Freedom of Sunderland

Since 1911, UWA has had more than 140,000 graduates including Bob Hawke, the charismatic former Prime Minister of Australia; several successors to Frank Wilson as Premiers of Western Australia; Rod Eddington, former CEO of British Airways; Rod Marsh, Australian wicketkeeper; and several Nobel prize winners.

Frank returned to the UK as the representative for Western Australia at the Coronation of King George V in June 1911, when he was awarded the Freedom of Sunderland and stayed with Annie’s parents in Sunderland.

They held a Gala when he came back to Wearside

A special Gala performance was held in Frank’s honour at the Sunderland Empire and he gave interviews extolling the virtues of Western Australia and urging people to emigrate.

Now 111 years on, Sandy has even more reason to feel proud. He watched the graduation ceremony of his two grandsons Jake and Tim Norris from that very same university.

Who is your contender for the greatest Sunderland person of all time? Are you related to a top musician, record-breaking Olympian, legendary footballer or a film star?

Share your suggestions for the G.O.A.T title. Email [email protected]