Parker ministry
Parker ministry | |
---|---|
![]() 3rd Cabinet of the Colony of New South Wales | |
![]() ![]() Premier Henry Parker and the Colony of New South Wales (1856–1859) | |
Date formed | 3 October 1856 |
Date dissolved | 7 September 1857 |
People and organisations | |
Head of state | Queen Victoria (represented by William Denison) |
Head of government | Henry Parker |
No. of ministers | 6 |
Member party | unaligned |
Status in legislature | Minority government |
Opposition party | unaligned |
Opposition leader | Charles Cowper |
History | |
Predecessor | First Cowper ministry |
Successor | Second Cowper ministry |
The Parker ministry was the third ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by the Honourable Henry Parker. Parker was elected in the first free elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly held in March 1856 and, following the failure of the Donaldson and Cowper Governments to maintain the confidence of the Assembly, was asked to form Government.[1]
The title of Premier was widely used to refer to the Leader of Government, but not enshrined in formal use until 1920.
There was no party system in New South Wales politics until 1887. Under the constitution, ministers were required to resign to recontest their seats in a by-election when appointed. These by-elections are only noted when the minister was defeated; in general, he was elected unopposed.
This ministry covers the period from 3 October 1856 until on 7 September 1857, when Parker resigned his commission, having lost an electoral bill.[1] During this period, there was a slight re-arrangement to the ministry, following the resignation of William Manning on account of ill-health.[2]
Composition of ministry
Portfolio | Minister | Term start | Term end | Term length |
---|---|---|---|---|
Premier Colonial Secretary |
Hon. Henry Parker MLA | 3 October 1856 | 7 September 1857 | 339 days |
Colonial Treasurer | Hon. Stuart Donaldson MLA | |||
Secretary for Lands and Works | Hon. John Hay MLA | |||
Attorney-General | Hon. William Manning MLA | 3 October 1856 | 25 May 1857 | 234 days |
Hon. John Darvall MLA | 26 May 1857 | 7 September 1857 | 339 days | |
Solicitor-General | 3 October 1856 | 23 May 1857 | ||
Hon. Edward Wise MLA | 23 May 1857 | 7 September 1857 | 107 days | |
Vice-President of the Executive Council | Hon. Edward Deas Thomson MLC |
See also
- Henry Parker - third Premier of New South Wales
- Self-government in New South Wales
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1856–1858
References
- ^ a b Serle, Percival. "Parker, Sir Henry Watson (1808-1881)". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Project Gutenberg Australia. Retrieved 26 February 2007.
- ^ "Former Members - Chronological List of Ministries 1856 to 2009 (requires download)". Project for the Sesquicentenary of Responsible Government in NSW. Parliament of New South Wales. Archived from the original (Excel spreadsheet) on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2010.