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Sir Henry Watson PARKER (1808 - 1881)

  • Date of Birth: 01/06/1808
  • Place of Birth: Lewisham, England
  • Date of Death: 02/02/1881
  • Place of Death: Richmond, Surrey, England

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Parliament Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council11 May 184620 Jun 18482yr(s) 1mth(s) 10day(s)Non-elective Member of the first Legislative Council
Member of the NSW Legislative Council8 Dec 184830 Jun 18512yr(s) 6mth(s) 23day(s)Non-elective Member of the first Legislative Council
Member of the NSW Legislative Council13 Oct 185129 Feb 18564yr(s) 4mth(s) 17day(s)Non-elective Member of the first Legislative Council
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly29 Mar 185619 Dec 18571yr(s) 8mth(s) 21day(s)
Member for Parramatta29 Mar 18563 Oct 18566mth(s) 5day(s)1st (1856 - 1857)
Member for Parramatta10 Oct 185619 Dec 18571yr(s) 2mth(s) 10day(s)1st (1856 - 1857)
Premier 3 Oct 18567 Sep 185711mth(s) 5day(s)
Chairman of Committees28 May 184620 Jun 18482yr(s) 24day(s)In first Legislative Council
Chairman of Committees17 May 184930 Jun 18512yr(s) 1mth(s) 14day(s)In first Legislative Council
Chairman of Committees17 Oct 185129 Feb 18564yr(s) 4mth(s) 13day(s)In first Legislative Council
Colonial Secretary3 Oct 18567 Sep 185711mth(s) 5day(s)
Governor General's Opening Speech23 May 185623 May 18561day1st (1856 - 1857)
Appointed by Speaker’s Warrant28 May 185618 Mar 18579mths 19days1st (1856 - 1857)
Standing Order Committee No.33 Jun 185618 Mar 18579mths 16days1st (1856 - 1857)
Library Committee No.43 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)
City Commissioners’ Department Committee No.712 Aug 185618 Mar 18577mths 7days1st (1856 - 1857)
Masters’ and Servants’ Acts Constitution Bill Committee No.813 Aug 185618 Mar 18577mths 6days1st (1856 - 1857)
Additional Ministerial Department Committee No.1220 Aug 185618 Mar 18576mths 27days1st (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)
The Library Committee12 Aug 185718 Dec 18574mths 7days1st (1856 - 1857)
Standing Order Committee12 Aug 185718 Dec 18574mths 7days1st (1856 - 1857)
Secondary Punishment Committee No.827 Aug 185718 Dec 18573mths 22days1st (1856 - 1857)

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Public servant; private means. Educated privately by Dr Waite, domestic chaplain to Princess Sophia of Gloucester. Advised to undertake sea travel for health, joined East India Co., visiting India, China, Cape of Good Hope. Then toured France, Holland, Belgium. No employment until 1837 when appointed private secretary to Governor Gipps. Arrived at Sydney with Gipps on 24 February 1838. Had extensive private means and built large house, Clovelly, at Watsons Bay. Crown trustee Australian Museum 1848, official trustee 1856-1857. Returned to England 1858, living at Stawell House, Richmond. Opposed Gladstone at Greenwich 1868. Commissioner of Sydney and Melbourne Exhibitions 1879, 1880. Estate proved at under £140,000. His wife was a sister of James and William Macarthur (also Members of the Parliament of New South Wales).


Honours Received

Created a Knight in 1858. Appointed as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG ) in 1877.


Personal

Son of Thomas Watson Parker and his wife Mary Cornell. Married Emmeline Emily Macarthur on 21 November 1843 in New South Wales, youngest daughter of John Macarthur.


Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 5 David Clune and Ken Turner (Editors), The Premiers of New South Wales: Volume 1 - 1856 - 1901, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006 [Chapter 3: "Parker, Henry", by Trevor McMinn, p. 55]



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