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Sir Stuart Alexander DONALDSON (1812 - 1867)

  • Date of Birth: 16/12/1812
  • Place of Birth: London, Westminster, England
  • Date of Death: 11/01/1867
  • Place of Death: 'Carleton Hall', Cumberland, England

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Parliament Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council1 Feb 184831 Jan 18535yr(s)5th Council (1849 - 1851)
6th Council (1851 - 1855)		An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the County of Durham
Member of the NSW Legislative Council1 Feb 185529 Feb 18561yr(s) 29day(s)6th Council (1851 - 1855)An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the Sydney Hamlets
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly11 Mar 185611 Apr 18593yr(s) 1mth(s) 1day(s)
Member for Sydney Hamlets11 Mar 18566 Jun 18562mth(s) 27day(s)1st (1856 - 1857)
Member for Sydney Hamlets16 Jun 18563 Oct 18563mth(s) 18day(s)1st (1856 - 1857)
Member for Cumberland (South Riding)4 Nov 185619 Dec 18571yr(s) 1mth(s) 16day(s)1st (1856 - 1857)
Member for Cumberland (South Riding)30 Jan 185811 Apr 18591yr(s) 2mth(s) 13day(s)2nd (1858 - 1859)
Premier 6 Jun 185625 Aug 18562mth(s) 20day(s)First Premier of New South Wales
Colonial Treasurer3 Oct 18567 Sep 185711mth(s) 5day(s)
Governor General's Opening Speech23 May 185623 May 18561day1st (1856 - 1857)
Library Committee No. 43 Jun 185618 Mar 18579mths 16days1st (1856 - 1857)
Standing Order Committee No.33 Jun 185618 Mar 18579mths 16days1st (1856 - 1857)
Petition of Peter Rawlings Committee No.54 Jun 185618 Mar 18579mths 15days1st (1856 - 1857)
Audit of the Revenue Accounts Committee No.66 Aug 185618 Mar 18577mths 13days1st (1856 - 1857)
Additional Ministerial Department Committee No.1220 Aug 185618 Mar 18576mths 27days1st (1856 - 1857)
Civil Service Superannuation Fund Committee No.1911 Nov 185618 Mar 18574mths 8days1st (1856 - 1857)
Governor General’s Opening Speech11 Aug 185711 Aug 18571day1st (1856 - 1857)
Standing Order Committee12 Aug 185718 Dec 18574mths 7days1st (1856 - 1857)
The Library Committee12 Aug 185718 Dec 18574mths 7days1st (1856 - 1857)
Audit of the Accounts of the Revenues Committee12 Aug 185718 Dec 18574mths 7days1st (1856 - 1857)
Scab and Catarrh in Sheep Committee No.923 Oct 185718 Dec 18571mth 26days1st (1856 - 1857)
Navigation of the Murray and its Effluents Committee No.1027 Oct 185718 Dec 18571mth 22days1st (1856 - 1857)
Treasury Iron Chest and Accounts Committee No.1717 Nov 185718 Dec 18571mth 2days1st (1856 - 1857)
Seizure of Gold Dust on board the “Ethereal” Committee No.184 Dec 185718 Dec 185715days1st (1856 - 1857)
The Library Committee No.325 Mar 185826 Nov 18588mths 2days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Standing Orders Committee No.225 Mar 185826 Nov 18588mths 2days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Treasury Iron Chest and Accounts Committee No.430 Mar 185826 Nov 18587mths 28days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Moreton Bay Judge’s Appointment Bill Committee No.631 Mar 185826 Nov 18587mths 27days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Special Return to Writ Committee No.531 Mar 185826 Nov 18587mths 27days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Navigation of the Murray, & c. Committee No.813 Apr 185826 Nov 18587mths 14days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Question of Privilege – Governor General’s Answer to Address on proposed dispatch of Artillery to Indi16 Apr 185826 Nov 18587mths 11days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Customs Department Committee No.1220 Apr 185826 Nov 18587mths 7days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Retrenchment in the Public Expenditure Committee No.1120 Apr 185826 Nov 18587mths 7days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Scab and Catarrh in Sheep Committee No.1427 Apr 185826 Nov 18587mths2nd (1858 - 1859)
Management of the Survey Department Committee No.1530 Apr 185826 Nov 18586mths 28days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Irish Female Immigrants (Petition from Celtic Association) Committee No.2028 May 185826 Nov 18585mths 30days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Seizure of Gold on board the ‘Ethereal’ and ‘May Nicholson’ Committee No.2115 Jun 185826 Nov 18585mths 12days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Murders by the Aborigines on the Dawson River Committee No.2215 Jun 185826 Nov 18585mths 12days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Railway Accident Committee No.2814 Jul 185826 Nov 18584mths 13days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Standing Orders Committee No.210 Dec 18589 Apr 18594mths2nd (1858 - 1859)
Library Committee No.310 Dec 18589 Apr 18594mths2nd (1858 - 1859)
Irish Female Immigrants Committee No.415 Dec 18589 Apr 18593mths 26days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Colonial Secretary6 Jun 185625 Aug 18562mths 20days

Community Activity

Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1838. Leading Founder of the Australian Club (treasurer; trustee; committeeman; vice-president). Member of the University of Sydney Senate from 1851 - 1856. Consul General for Sardinia in 1855. Foundation Member of the Union Club in 1856. With Sir William Burton, Sir Charles Nicholson, Sir George Macleay and W. C. Wentworth was active in the General Association for the Australian Colonies being appointed as Chairman in 1860.


Qualifications, occupations and interests

Pastoralist and merchant. Educated privately. Entered father's firm at 15 and went to Mexico for business training 1831 - 1834. Arrived in Sydney, where father's firm was associated with Alexander Riley and Richard Jones, 5 May 1835. Partner Richard Jones & Co., 1837. Manager on Jones' retirement 1838; agent for Lloyds of London, 1839. Took up runs at Tenterfield and Clifton in New England District, 1840, with 34, 000 sheep on 250, 000 acres. Formed business partnership with William Dawes 1841. To London 1841 - 1844. Suffered severely in depression of early 1840s, but by 1851 had cleared debts and realized over £30, 000. Acquired tweed factory near Newcastle; shareholder in many companies; extensive pastoral interests; trustee New South Wales Savings Bank. Travelled to England 1853 - 1854. A commissioner for railways 1857. Returned to England June 1859, leaving brothers-in-law to manage pastoral holdings. Revisited Australia in 1861 and 1864.


Honours Received

Knighted in 1860


Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held

In 1860 unsuccessfully contested the seats of Dartmouth and later Barnstaple for the House of Commons in England.


Personal

Son of Stuart Alexander Donaldson, merchant, and his wife Betsy Cundall. Married on 21 February 1854 in England to Amelia Cowper, daughter of Frederick Cowper of Carleton Hall, Cumberland, England (not related to Sir Charles Cowper), and had issue, 4 sons and 1 daughter. Church of England


Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4 Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Stuart Alexander Donaldson - papers, 1834 - 1857 (A726-A731); photographs in the PICMAN Database. David Clune and Ken Turner (Editors), The Premiers of New South Wales: Volume 1 - 1856 - 1901, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006 [Chapter 1: "Donaldson, Stuart Alexander", by David Clune, p. 15]



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