Phillip Blashki

Phillip Blashki (21 February 1837 – 1916) was a Polish immigrant to Australia and was a well known character around Melbourne in the 1800s. As a bankrupt turned magistrate, a former hawker on the goldfields and the designer of the Sheffield Shield, Mr Blashki had more than one claim to fame. He had 14 children (see below) and today there are over 500 descendants, mostly in Australia, that have been traced.

Phillip was born Favel Wagczewski in Blaszki, a Polish village near Kalish, on 21st February 1837. Phillip's father was Myer Wagczewski. Phillip's biological mother was named Jenta, who died very young. Phillip was then raised by his father Myer and his step mother Mindel (Mina).

Favel was the eldest of three brothers, all of whom left Poland to escape the hard life Jews suffered there. Aged 18, Favel went to Manchester, where his employer couldn't pronounce his name. From then he took on the name Phillip (it sounded like Favel) Blashki (sounded like where he was born).

Phillip met his wife to be, Hannah Feigel, in a cemetery. Hannah, born in Warsaw in 1833 and was brought up by her widowed mother after her father, Abraham Immergut, was killed in an accident. Aged 16 she married Israel Potash and they immigrated to Manchester. Of the four children they had before she was widowed in 1857, only Hyman survived. On 1 December 1957, Phillip and Hannah were married in the Great Synagogue in Manchester.

On 30 December 1857, Phillip, Hannah and Hyman caught the ship, the ‘Alice Walton’ believing it was bound for America. In fact it was bound for Melbourne. Phillip was 20, Hannah was 24 and pregnant, and Hyman Potash was 4 years old. Five months later Hannah gave birth to twin sons. Australia was a frontier country at that time and it needed a pioneering spirit to survive as well as much ingenuity and commitment to remain observant Jews.

On 20th January, 1914, the new City Court at Russell St. was opened in Melbourne, and Phillip Blashki, J.P. was the first Chairman of the City Court Bench. (see Melbourne Magistrates Court)

Phillip Blashki was the first Trustee for the Jewish section of Brighton cemetery. He established the Tahara house for Jewish burials and set a precedent for purchasing half sized graves for children. In 1899 he was founder of the Jewish Burial Society (Chevra Kadisha)

Some of the notable people buried there include:add John Monash

Gold was weighed on small portable gold scales such as those used by hawker Phillip Blashki and now on display at the Jewish Museum of Australia Melbourne, Victoria. He used gold to spin gold thread to make masonic regalia for his Freemasonry business, P.Blashki & Sons.

In 'The Herald', Melbourne October 21, 1916, the death of Phillip Blashki was related an a small obituary in the centre of the front page. It said "Template:Justice for 39 years; Mr Phillip Blashki Dies". in summary it noted that he was chairman of the City Court Bench and for 39 years was a justice of the peace....Fifty eight years ago he came to Victoria, and took a leading part in many public affairs. He founded the Melbourne Jewish Aid Society. He was trustee of the Brighton cemetery, and prominent Freemason."

He was a J.P. for all the bailiwicks of Melbourne and an assessor and Hon. magistrate in Gipps Ward. His success is what led the Attorney General of Victoria to appoint him as Chairman of the new City Court Bench. Following the drowning of his wife, Hannah's son Hyman, he ordered that the Melbourne City BathsCorporation Swimming Pool would be open free for all children to learn to swim. The success of the Jewish Aid Society led to the Victorian government establishing a Charity Aid Association with similar objectives and remained on their committee for many years. On his 70th birthday an illuminated address signed by thirty solicitors practising in that court, was handed to him by the Prime Minister.

Blashki was first president of the Board of the East Melbourne Hebrew School. this became the United Jewish Education Board, with Victorian Attorney General Isaac Isaacs as it's president and Phillip as it's treasurer. he represented the Jewish community of the Victorian government Education Advisory Board

Phillip and Hannah Blashki’s 14 children were:

1. Lazurus Blashki
2. Joel Blashki
3. Aaron Blashki
4. Henry Blashki
5. Gad Louis Blashki
6. Jeanette Fryberg (probably named after Phillip's biological mother, Jenta)
7. Minnie Behrend
8. Rosetta Slutzkin
9. Eva Pincus
10. Halena Sarah Younkman
11. Myer Blashki (Miles Evergood)
12. David Blashki
13. Esther Goodman
14. Rebecca Slutzkin