Cowper ministry (1861–1863)
Third Cowper ministry | |
|---|---|
 7th Cabinet of the Colony of New South Wales | |
   Premier Charles Cowper and the Colony of New South Wales (1860–1862 and 1862) | |
| Date formed | 10 January 1861 |
| Date dissolved | 15 October 1863 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Queen Victoria (represented by William Denison and subsequently Sir John Young) |
| Head of government | Charles Cowper |
| No. of ministers | 7 |
| Member party | unaligned |
| Status in legislature | Minority government |
| Opposition party | unaligned |
| Opposition leader | |
| History | |
| Predecessor | First Robertson ministry |
| Successor | First Martin ministry |
The third Cowper ministry was the seventh ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and third occasion of being led by the Honourable Charles Cowper.
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 on the first occasion, but he also lost the confidence of the Assembly a few months later. Cowper formed Government on the second occasion between 1857 and 1859; but it also lost the confidence of the Assembly. Cowper was again asked to form Government following the decision by Premier John Robertson to step aside and focus on land reform.[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 10 January 1861 until 15 October 1863, when Cowper was defeated amidst criticism of its financial management.[2][3]
Composition of ministry
| Portfolio | Minister | Term start | Term end | Term length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Colonial Secretary |
Hon. Charles Cowper MLA | 10 January 1861 | 15 October 1863 | 2 years, 278 days |
| Colonial Treasurer | Hon. Elias Weekes MLA | 20 March 1863 | 2 years, 69 days | |
| Hon. Thomas Smart MLA | 21 March 1863 | 15 October 1863 | 208 days | |
| Secretary for Lands and Works | Hon. John Robertson MLA | 10 January 1861 | 2 years, 278 days | |
| Secretary for Public Works | Hon. William Arnold MLA | |||
| Attorney-General | Hon. John Darvall MLA | 1 August 1863 | ||
| Hon. John Hargrave MLC | 10 January 1861 | 31 July 1863 | ||
| Solicitor-General Representative of the Government in Legislative Council |
1 August 1863 | 15 October 1863 | ||
| Clerk of the Executive Council | Hon. Charles Cowper, Jr MLA | 1 September 1861 | 2 years, 44 days |
See also
- Charles Cowper – second Premier of New South Wales
- Self-government in New South Wales
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1860–1864
- First Cowper ministry (1856)
- Second Cowper ministry (1857–1859)
- Fourth Cowper ministry (1865–1866)
- Fifth Cowper ministry (1870)
References
- ^ Nairn, Bede. "Robertson, Sir John (1816–1891)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 22 February 2007.
- ^ Ward, John M. "Cowper, Sir Charles (1807–1875)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 20 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.
