Born in 1869 at Inverness Scotland, Presbyterian. His father, Francis William Wisdom was a music-seller. Wisdom came to Western Australia in 1891 seeking a fortune on the goldfields and in a short time owned hotels at Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie. He married Agnes Bell (nee Jackson) and they took up residence at Claremont. In 1908 he was a member of the Western Australian Infantry Brigade with the rank of Major. He was Mayor of Cottesloe 1908-1913. The Member for Claremont in the Legislative Assembly 1911-1917, concurrent with his leadership role throughout the Gallipoli campaign where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. In France he received the Order of Danilo 3rd Class. Wisdom was engaged in several major battles in Europe including, Lagincourt, the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt, the Battles at Menin Road, Broodseinde, Passchendaele, Morlancourt, Hamel, Amiens, Mont St Quentin and the Beaurevoir Line. He was mentioned in dispatches six times. Wisdom was appointed C.M.G. in January 1919. In the 1920s Wisdom was the Administrator of the mandated New Guinea Territory taken from Germany in WW1. Described as ‘one of the best leaders in the AIF’, he died in Melbourne 7 December 1945. Photo at AWM Evan Alexander Wisdom (1869-1945), by unknown photographer, c1916 and now out of copyright. For a good profile of Evan Wisdom see Australian Dictionary of Biography, biography by Ronald McNicoll.
