The Reverend John Dunmore LANG (1799 - 1878)**

Date of Birth: 25/08/1799 Place of Birth: Greenock, Scotland Date of Death: 08/08/1878 Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Notes Member of the NSW Legislative Council 1 Jun 1843 1 Nov 1847 4yr(s) 5mth(s) 1day(s) An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the District of Port Phillip; seat vacated by absence Member of the NSW Legislative Council 1 Jul 1850 30 Jun 1851 11mth(s) 30day(s) An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the City of Sydney Member of the NSW Legislative Council 1 Sep 1851 1 Oct 1851 1mth(s) 1day(s) An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the City of Sydney Member of the NSW Legislative Council 1 Aug 1854 29 Feb 1856 1yr(s) 6mth(s) 29day(s) An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the County of Stanley Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 14 Jun 1859 15 Nov 1869 10yr(s) 5mth(s) 2day(s) Member for West Sydney 14 Jun 1859 10 Nov 1860 1yr(s) 4mth(s) 28day(s) 3rd (1859 - 1860) Member for West Sydney 12 Dec 1860 10 Nov 1864 3yr(s) 10mth(s) 30day(s) 4th (1860 - 1864) Member for West Sydney 24 Nov 1864 15 Nov 1869 4yr(s) 11mth(s) 23day(s) 5th (1865 - 1869) Library Committee No.3 1 Sep 1859 4 Jul 1860 10mths 4days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Sydney Grammar School Committee No.6 13 Sep 1859 4 Jul 1860 9mths 22days 3rd (1859 - 1860) University of Sydney Committee No.5 13 Sep 1859 4 Jul 1860 9mths 22days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Secondary Punishment Committee No.8 14 Sep 1859 4 Jul 1860 9mths 21days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Case of James Hibburd Committee No.16 23 Sep 1859 4 Jul 1860 9mths 12days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Church and School Lands Committee No.15 23 Sep 1859 4 Jul 1860 9mths 12days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Condition of the Working Classes of the Metropolis Committee No.19 30 Sep 1859 4 Jul 1860 9mths 5days 3rd (1859 - 1860) St Andrew’s College Bill Committee No.24 14 Oct 1859 4 Jul 1860 8mths 21days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Grievances Committee No.26 6 Dec 1859 4 Jul 1860 6mths 29days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Petition of Alexander Berry, Esquire, Committee No.30 3 Feb 1860 4 Jul 1860 5mths 2days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Dean of St Andrew’s Sydney Committee No.36 17 Feb 1860 4 Jul 1860 4mths 18days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Moreton Bay Immigration and Land Company’s Act Amendment Bill Committee No.39 3 Apr 1860 4 Jul 1860 3mths 2days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Federation of the Australian Colonies Committee No.38 3 Apr 1860 4 Jul 1860 3mths 2days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Chairman Fitz Roy Dry Dock Committee No.40 10 Apr 1860 4 Jul 1860 2mths 25days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Governor General’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 25 Sep 1860 25 Sep 1860 1day 3rd (1859 - 1860) Petition of Mr N.L Kentish Committee No.4 27 Sep 1860 9 Nov 1860 1mth 14days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Library Committee No.3 27 Sep 1860 9 Nov 1860 1mth 14days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Federation of the Australian Colonies Committee No.5 28 Sep 1860 9 Nov 1860 1mth 13days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Chairman Moreton Bay Immigration and Land Company’s Act Amendment Bill Committee No.10 12 Oct 1860 9 Nov 1860 29days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Petition of Mr Alexander Berry Committee No.9 12 Oct 1860 9 Nov 1860 29days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Public Prisons in Sydney and Cumberland Committee No.14 23 Oct 1860 9 Nov 1860 18days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Petition of Mr James Boyle Committee No.17 6 Nov 1860 9 Nov 1860 4days 3rd (1859 - 1860) Library Committee No.3 4 Sep 1861 20 Jan 1862 4mths 17days 4th (1860 - 1864) Presbyterian Church Temporalities Act of 1837 Committee No.17 1 Nov 1861 20 Jan 1862 2mths 20days 4th (1860 - 1864) Field of Mars Common Committee No.22 31 Dec 1861 20 Jan 1862 21days 4th (1860 - 1864) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 27 May 1862 27 May 1862 1day 4th (1860 - 1864) Chairman Library Committee No.3 28 May 1862 1 Aug 1862 2mths 5days 4th (1860 - 1864) Field of Mars Common Committee No.5 3 Jun 1862 26 Sep 1862 3mths 24days 4th (1860 - 1864) Exchange of Land, Scots Church, Jamison-street, legalizing Bill Committee No.24 12 Aug 1862 14 Nov 1862 3mths 3days 4th (1860 - 1864) Chairman Presbyterian College Bill Committee No.25 12 Aug 1862 18 Nov 1862 3mths 7days 4th (1860 - 1864) Chairman Town Hall Site Exchange Bill Committee No.33 30 Sep 1862 15 Oct 1862 16days 4th (1860 - 1864) Pawnbrokers Bill Committee No.35 3 Oct 1862 20 Dec 1862 2mths 18days 4th (1860 - 1864) Sydney Water Reserves Committee No.40 21 Oct 1862 20 Dec 1862 1mth 30days 4th (1860 - 1864) Library Committee No.3 24 Jun 1863 31 Mar 1864 9mths 8days 4th (1860 - 1864) Penal, Reformatory, and Charitable Establishments Committee No.8 8 Jul 1863 22 Apr 1864 9mths 15days 4th (1860 - 1864) Presbyterian College Bill Committee No.15 4 Sep 1863 6 Oct 1863 1mth 3days 4th (1860 - 1864) Chairman Mr John Busby Committee No.18 4 Sep 1863 24 Feb 1864 5mths 21days 4th (1860 - 1864) Exchange of Land, Scots Church, Jamison street, Legalizing Bill Committee No.16 4 Sep 1863 1 Apr 1864 6mths 29days 4th (1860 - 1864) Sydney Water Reserves Committee No.31 2 Feb 1864 21 Apr 1864 2mths 20days 4th (1860 - 1864) Library Committee No.3 19 Oct 1864 9 Nov 1864 22days 4th (1860 - 1864) Library Committee No.5 8 Mar 1865 21 Jun 1865 3mths 14days 5th (1865 - 1869) Presbyterian Church Bill Committee No.7 14 Mar 1865 24 Mar 1865 11days 5th (1865 - 1869) Railway through Ultimo Estate No.10 31 Mar 1865 9 Jun 1865 2mths 10days 5th (1865 - 1869) Sydney Sewerage Committee No.17 16 May 1865 21 Jun 1865 1mth 6days 5th (1865 - 1869) Library Committee No.2 25 Oct 1865 7 Apr 1866 5mths 14days 5th (1865 - 1869) Clarence and New England Steam Navigation Company’s Bill Committee No.9 14 Nov 1865 12 Dec 1865 29days 5th (1865 - 1869) Exchange of Land Scots Church, Sydney, Legalizing Bill Committee No.13 15 Dec 1865 23 Feb 1866 2mths 9days 5th (1865 - 1869) Reserves under Crown Lands Alienation Act Committee No.15 23 Feb 1866 4 Apr 1866 1mth 13days 5th (1865 - 1869) Library Committee No.2 25 Jul 1866 18 Mar 1867 7mths 22days 5th (1865 - 1869) Railway from Echuca to Deniliquin Committee No.10 21 Sep 1866 20 Dec 1866 2mths 30days 5th (1865 - 1869) Chairman Presbyterian College Bill Committee No.18 31 Oct 1866 8 Nov 1866 9days 5th (1865 - 1869) Chairman Alleged Irregularity in Registration of a Deed Committee No.17 31 Oct 1866 8 Nov 1866 9days 5th (1865 - 1869) Chairman Shoalhaven Municipality Committee No.22 27 Nov 1866 21 Dec 1866 25days 5th (1865 - 1869) Sydney Common Improvement Bill Committee No.23 6 Dec 1866 13 Dec 1866 8days 5th (1865 - 1869) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 2 Jul 1867 2 Jul 1867 1day 5th (1865 - 1869) St Andrew’s Cathedral Close Bill Committee No.8 2 Jul 1867 27 Apr 1868 9mths 26days 5th (1865 - 1869) Railway from Echuca to Deniliquin Committee No.6 2 Jul 1867 27 Apr 1868 9mths 26days 5th (1865 - 1869) Chairman Shipwrecks and Loss of Life on the Coast Committee No.10. 3 Sep 1867 18 Dec 1867 3mths 16days 5th (1865 - 1869) Petititon of Mr Thomas Smith Committee No.15 8 Nov 1867 3 Apr 1868 4mths 27days 5th (1865 - 1869) Sydney Common Improvement Act Amendment Bill Committee No.23 16 Mar 1868 18 Mar 1868 3days 5th (1865 - 1869) Reverend James White Committee No.22 16 Mar 1868 7 Apr 1868 23days 5th (1865 - 1869) Address to Her Majesty in reference to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh Committee No.26 20 Apr 1868 20 Apr 1868 1day 5th (1865 - 1869) Library Committee No.3 15 Dec 1868 3 Feb 1869 1mth 20days 5th (1865 - 1869) Mr Thomas Scott – Sugar Cultivation Committee No.14 10 Feb 1869 24 Mar 1869 1mth 15days 5th (1865 - 1869) Chairman Sydney Boundaries Amendment Bill Committee No:15 12 Feb 1869 16 Mar 1869 1mth 5days 5th (1865 - 1869) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 28 Sep 1869 28 Sep 1869 1day 5th (1865 - 1869) Library Committee No.2 29 Sep 1869 13 Nov 1869 1mth 16days 5th (1865 - 1869) Mr Thomas Scott – Sugar Cultivation Committee No.12 26 Oct 1869 13 Nov 1869 19days 5th (1865 - 1869) Town Hall Committee No.16 10 Nov 1869 13 Nov 1869 4days 5th (1865 - 1869)

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Clergyman. Educated for Ministry at Largs Parish School and University of Glasgow, where he won many scholarships and prizes (MA 1820 and DD 1825). Arrived in Sydney in May 1823 as the first Presbyterian Minister in New South Wales. Founded Scots Church in Sydney where he was Minister from 1826 until 1878, although stripped of executive functions. Founder and principal of Australian College 1831 until 1854. Started weekly paper in 1834. Encouraged Protestant immigration. Sponsor of Moreton Bay and Port Phillip separation movements. Strong opponent of transportation. Leading republican in early 1850s. A leader of radical movement 1840s to early 1860s. Struggled for better schools. Advocated home rule for Ireland and attacked Roman Catholicism.

Personal

Son of William Lang, small landowner and ships joiner and Mary Lang. Married Wilhelmina Mackie in 1831 and had issue, 10 children. Presbyterian.

Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2 Archibald Gilchrist and Gordon Powell (editors), John Dunmore Lang : Australia's pioneer republican : his life and times, chiefly in his own words, 1999 D.W.A. Baker, Days of Wrath : a life of John Dunmore Lang, 1985 D.W.A. Baker, Preacher, politician, patriot : a life of John Dunmore Lang, 1998 [This is an abridgement for a wider readership of Baker's Days of Wrath, 1985] A biography is on the 'Electric Scotland' Website: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/australia/lang_john.htm Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: 1. Reverend John Dunmore Lang - papers, 1823 - ca.1892 (MLMSS 268); photographs in the PICMAN Database.2. Reverend John Dunmore Lang - papers, 1825 - 1859

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