Sir Patrick Alfred JENNINGS (1831 - 1897)**

Date of Birth: 20/03/1831 Place of Birth: Newry, County Down, Ireland Date of Death: 11/07/1897 Place of Death: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Notes Member of the NSW Legislative Council 31 Jul 1867 17 Dec 1869 2yrs 4mths 17days Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 28 March 1867 Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 29 Dec 1869 25 Jun 1872 2yrs 5mths 28days Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 30 Nov 1880 26 Jan 1887 6yrs 1mth 28days Member of the NSW Legislative Council 22 May 1890 11 Jul 1897 7yrs 1mth 20days Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 15 April 1890 Member for Murray 29 Dec 1869 3 Feb 1872 2yrs 1mth 6days 6th (1870 - 1872) Member for Murray 7 Mar 1872 25 Jun 1872 3mth(s) 19day(s) 7th (1872 - 1874) Member for Bogan 30 Nov 1880 23 Nov 1882 1yr 11mths 25days 10th (1880 - 1882) Member for Bogan 19 Dec 1882 7 Oct 1885 2yrs 9mths 19days 11th (1882 - 1885) Member for Bogan 26 Oct 1885 27 Feb 1886 4mths 2days 12th (1885 - 1887) Member for Bogan 9 Mar 1886 26 Jan 1887 10mths 18days 12th (1885 - 1887) Ministerial by-election (appointed Premier 26 February 1886). Declared elected on unopposed nomination. Vice President of Executive Council 5 Jan 1883 31 Jul 1883 6mths 27days Colonial Secretary 10 Oct 1885 21 Dec 1885 2mths 12days Premier 26 Feb 1886 19 Jan 1887 10mths 25days Colonial Treasurer 26 Feb 1886 19 Jan 1887 10mths 25days Immigration Committee No.10 22 Feb 1870 13 Apr 1870 1mth 23days 6th (1870 - 1872) Oyster Fisheries Committee No.17 15 Mar 1870 7 May 1870 1mth 23days 6th (1870 - 1872) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 11 Aug 1870 3 Nov 1870 2mths 24days 6th (1870 - 1872) Petition of Hugh Maguire Committee No.6 18 Aug 1870 7 Oct 1870 1mth 20days 6th (1870 - 1872) The Civil Service Committee No.6 21 Nov 1871 1 Feb 1872 2mths 12days 6th (1870 - 1872) Bathurst Gas Company’s Bill Committee No.7 29 Nov 1871 6 Dec 1871 8days 6th (1870 - 1872) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 2 May 1872 10 Jul 1872 2mths 9days 6th (1870 - 1872) Refreshment Room No.4 17 Dec 1880 6 Apr 1881 3mths 21days 10th (1880 - 1882) Standing Orders Committee No.3 17 Dec 1880 6 Apr 1881 3mths 21days 10th (1880 - 1882) Australian Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.14 10 Mar 1881 17 Mar 1881 8days 10th (1880 - 1882) Standing Orders Committee No.4 6 Jul 1881 29 Jul 1881 24days 10th (1880 - 1882) Refreshment Room No.5 6 Jul 1881 20 Dec 1881 5mths 15days 10th (1880 - 1882) Presbyterian Church Property Management Bill Committee No.15 30 Aug 1881 27 Sep 1881 29days 10th (1880 - 1882) Royal Society of New South Wales Incorporation Bill Committee No.19 16 Sep 1881 27 Sep 1881 12days 10th (1880 - 1882) Dubbo Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.28 7 Dec 1881 14 Dec 1881 8days 10th (1880 - 1882) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 25 Aug 1882 28 Sep 1882 1mth 4days 10th (1880 - 1882) Refreshment Room No.4 30 Aug 1882 21 Nov 1882 2mths 23days 10th (1880 - 1882) Standing Orders Committee No.3 30 Aug 1882 21 Nov 1882 2mths 23days 10th (1880 - 1882) Dubbo Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.11 20 Oct 1882 14 Nov 1882 26days 10th (1880 - 1882) Standing Orders Committee No.3 18 Jan 1883 2 May 1883 3mths 15days 11th (1882 - 1885) Standing Orders Committee No.3 10 Oct 1883 1 Nov 1884 1yr 23days 11th (1882 - 1885) Dubbo Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.5 11 Oct 1883 25 Oct 1883 15days 11th (1882 - 1885) Dubbo Cattle Sale-yards Bill Committee No.8 14 Oct 1883 18 Oct 1883 5days 11th (1882 - 1885) Chairman Serisier’s Estate Bill Committee No.61 5 Sep 1884 1 Nov 1884 1mth 28days 11th (1882 - 1885) Standing Orders Committee No.2 19 Nov 1884 27 Nov 1884 9days 11th (1882 - 1885) Standing Orders Committee No.2 17 Mar 1885 27 Mar 1885 11days 12th (1885 - 1887) Standing Orders Committee No.5 24 Sep 1885 2 Oct 1885 9days 12th (1885 - 1887) Hay Gas Bill Committee No.22 1 Oct 1885 2 Oct 1885 2days 12th (1885 - 1887) Standing Orders Committee No.3 3 Dec 1885 25 Oct 1886 10mths 23days 12th (1885 - 1887) Hay Gas Bill Committee No.16 4 Feb 1886 13 Apr 1886 2mths 10days 12th (1885 - 1887) Sydney Corporation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.38 14 May 1886 14 May 1886 1day 12th (1885 - 1887) Alleged Abuses in Connection with the Shipping of New South Wales Committee No.51 18 Jun 1886 25 Oct 1886 4mths 8days 12th (1885 - 1887)

Community Activity

Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1857.

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Pastoralist. Educated at Newry and Exeter, England. Lacked money to study for the Bar; trained in business with firm in Exeter. To Victoria in 1852. Successful on goldfields; joined 1855 rush to New Bendigo (St Arnaud), where introduced quartz crushing machinery, opened store and engaged in pastoral pursuits and prospered. With Martin Shanahan acquired Warbreccan station near Deniliquin, New South Wales 1862; moved there 1863. The partners later acquired Garawilla, nearr Gunnedah, and Denobillie and Ulimambri, near Coonabarabran; also Westbrook, 80,000 acres on Darling Downs, 1874, which became his home after Warbreccan sold 1885. On Shanahan's death, 1882, his son became partner. Lost all properties except Westbrook during drought and financial crisis of early 1890s. In 1880s, director of Intercolonial Life Assurance Annuity and General Association, and of Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society; local director of London Chartered Bank of Australia. Commissioner for Exhibitions at Melbourne 1875, Philadelphia 1876; executive commissioner for Sydney International Exhibition 1879. Joined Riverine Association 1863 but did not support separation. Vice-president of Agriculture Society of New South Wales 1876-1887; fellow of the Senate, University of Sydney, 1883-1891; trustee National Art Gallery of New South Wales 1885-1897; president of Sydney Liedertafel, and enthusiastic patron and performer of music; member Union Club. First practising Roman Catholic Premier of New South Wales; generous contributor to church funds; fellow of St John's College, University of Sydney, 1868-1872, 1874-1891. Represented New South Wales at the Colonial Conference, London, 1887; delegate at Federal Convention 1896. Estate valued at £ 4,400.

Honours Received

Knight of St Gregory the Great (Papal Order) in 1874. Knight Commander of the Order of Pius IX (Papal Order) in 1876. Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1879. Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George KCMG in 1880. Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX conferring title of Marquis 1885 (Papal Order).

Personal

Son of Francis Jennings, linen merchant, and his wife Mary O'Neill. Married c. 1863 to Mary Ann Shanahan, sister of his squatting partner (Martin Shanahan), and had issue, 1 son and 2 daughters. Roman Catholic.

Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4 David Clune and Ken Turner (Editors), The Premiers of New South Wales: Volume 1 - 1856 - 1901, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006 [Chapter 11: "Jennings, Sir Patrick Alfred", by TW Campbell, p. 181]

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