Edward Riley

Who was Edward Riley?

Edward Riley was a merchant and early pastoralist in Sydney, New South Wales. Born in London to George Riley, Sr., a well-educated bookseller, and Margaret Raby, he was the younger brother of Alexander Riley and the first person in his family to be interested by colonial life, moving to Calcutta and trading between Canton and Australia. William Rubinstein listed Edward Riley as being Australia's ninth richest man ever in Australian history in terms of current GDP Value.

Riley began his career as a merchant shipping rum, clothing and food from Calcutta, India to his brother, Alexander and Richard Jones in New South Wales.

Riley Street in Sydney is named after Edward Riley.