Cowper ministry (1856)
First Cowper ministry | |
|---|---|
 2nd Cabinet of the Colony of New South Wales | |
  Premier Charles Cowper and the Colony of New South Wales (1856–1859) | |
| Date formed | 25 August 1856 |
| Date dissolved | 2 October 1856 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Queen Victoria (represented by William Denison) |
| Head of government | Charles Cowper |
| No. of ministers | 6 |
| Member party | unaligned |
| Status in legislature | Minority government |
| Opposition party | unaligned |
| Opposition leader | |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Donaldson ministry |
| Successor | Parker ministry |
The first Cowper ministry was the second ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by the Honourable Charles Cowper. It was the first of five occasions that Cowper was Leader of the Government. Cowper was elected in the first free elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly held in March 1856, and fought unsuccessfully with Stuart Donaldson to form Government. When Donaldson's Government faltered a little over two months after it was formed, Cowper formed Government.
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 26 August 1856 until on 2 October 1856, when Cowper resigned his commission, having lost the confidence of the Assembly.[1][2]
Composition of ministry
| Portfolio | Minister | Term start | Term end | Term length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Colonial Secretary |
Hon. Charles Cowper MLA | 26 August 1856 | 2 October 1856 | 37 days |
| Colonial Treasurer | Hon. Robert Campbell MLA | |||
| Auditor-General Secretary for Lands and Works |
Hon. Terence Murray MLA | |||
| Attorney-General | Hon. James Martin MLA | |||
| Solicitor-General Leader of the Government in Legislative Council |
Hon. Alfred Lutwyche MLC |
See also
- Charles Cowper – second Premier of New South Wales
- Self-government in New South Wales
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1856–1858
- Second Cowper ministry (1857–1859)
- Third Cowper ministry (1861–1863)
- Fourth Cowper ministry (1865–1866)
- Fifth Cowper ministry (1870)
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ Ward, John M. "Cowper, Sir Charles (1807–1875)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 20 February 2007.
