Matthew Lewis Moss

(1863-1946)

Moss Street was named after the first Mayor of East Fremantle 1897 - 1900, Matthew Lewis (sometimes spelt Louis) Moss.

Moss was born in Dunedin New Zealand in 1863, was educated there as a Barrister and arrived in Western Australia in 1891. Moss married Katherine Lyons in 1895. From 1892–1914, he practiced law at Fremantle, and later in Perth with Moss and Dwyer. Moss served as Liberal Party MLA North Fremantle 22 May 1895 (by-election)–4 May 1897, MLC West Province 22 May 1900–6 December 1901, 22 May 1902–21 May 1914, Contested North Fremantle 15 June 1894, East Fremantle 5 May 1897, West Province 6 December 1901 (ministry by-election), Colonial Secretary 21 November–23 December 1901, Minister without portfolio 13 August 1902–10 March 1904; 25 August 1905–7 May 1906.

In 1934 he was acting Agent General for WA and went as a member of a (unsuccessful) Secession delegation to Imperial Parliament, along with Sir Hal Colebatch, James MacCallum Smith, and Keith Watson (see photo below).

He fought bitterly against the move of the Railway Yards from the Fremantle Ports to Midland in 1904, which had a huge impact upon the working class population of Fremantle.

Moss married Katherine Lyons in 1895, with whom he had two sons. She had been an inaugural member of the Senate of the University of Western Australia.

They lived at a grand house which has since been demolished- “Wanaka”’, which was on the corner of East St and Canning Highway.

Moss died at a London nursing home in February 1946, aged 82 at the time of his death.