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Mr William Bede DALLEY (1831 - 1888)

  • Date of Birth: 05/07/1831
  • Place of Birth: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Date of Death: 28/10/1888
  • Place of Death: Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Parliament Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly30 Dec 185625 Feb 18603yr(s) 1mth(s) 27day(s)
Member of the NSW Legislative Council13 May 186113 May 18611day(s)Did not take his seat. First (Quinquennial) Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 10 May 1861.
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly16 Oct 186219 Nov 18642yr(s) 1mth(s) 4day(s)
Member of the NSW Legislative Council11 Aug 187019 Sep 18733yr(s) 1mth(s) 9day(s)Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 28 May 1870. Resigned
Member of the NSW Legislative Council9 Feb 18758 Apr 18805yr(s) 2mth(s)Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 9 February 1875. Resigned.
Member of the NSW Legislative Council5 Jan 188328 Oct 18885yr(s) 9mth(s) 24day(s)Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 5 January 1883
Member for Sydney (City)30 Dec 185619 Dec 185711mth(s) 20day(s)1st (1856 - 1857)
Member for Cumberland Boroughs20 Jan 185815 Nov 18589mth(s) 27day(s)2nd (1858 - 1859)
Member for Cumberland Boroughs24 Nov 185811 Apr 18594mth(s) 19day(s)2nd (1858 - 1859)
Member for Windsor21 Jun 185925 Feb 18608mth(s) 5day(s)3rd (1859 - 1860)
Member for Carcoar16 Oct 186219 Nov 18642yr(s) 1mth(s) 4day(s)4th (1860 - 1864)
Solicitor General15 Nov 185811 Feb 18592mth(s) 28day(s)
Attorney General without a seat in Executive Council9 Feb 187521 Mar 18772yr(s) 1mth(s) 13day(s)
Attorney General17 Aug 187717 Dec 18774mth(s) 1day(s)
Attorney General and Representative of the Government in the Legislative Council5 Jan 18836 Oct 18852yr(s) 9mth(s) 2day(s)
Acting Colonial Secretary7 Oct 188411 May 18857mth(s) 5day(s)
St John’s College Bill Committee No.626 Aug 185718 Dec 18573mths 23days1st (1856 - 1857)
Late Shipwrecks, Port Jackson Committee No.1130 Oct 185718 Dec 18571mth 19days1st (1856 - 1857)
Australian Agricultural Company’s Newcastle Railway Bill Committee No.1230 Oct 185718 Dec 18571mth 19days1st (1856 - 1857)
Australian Gas Company’s Light Bill Committee No.1613 Nov 185718 Dec 18571mth 6days1st (1856 - 1857)Chairman
Pyrmont Bridge Company’s Bill Committee No.1513 Nov 185718 Dec 18571mth 6days1st (1856 - 1857)Chairman
Seizure of Gold Dust on board the “Ethereal” Committee No.184 Dec 185718 Dec 185715days1st (1856 - 1857)
Special Return to Writ Committee No.531 Mar 185826 Nov 18587mths 27days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Pyrmont Bridge Company’s Bill Committee No.1918 May 185826 Nov 18586mths 9days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Australian Gas Light Company’s Bill Committee No.1818 May 185826 Nov 18586mths 9days2nd (1858 - 1859)Chairman
Seizure of Gold on board the ‘Ethereal’ and ‘May Nicholson’ Committee No.2115 Jun 185826 Nov 18585mths 12days2nd (1858 - 1859)
University of Sydney Committee No.2920 Jul 185826 Nov 18584mths 7days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Extension of Railway to Windsor Committee No.3023 Jul 185826 Nov 18584mths 4days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Extension of Railway to Windsor Committee No.617 Dec 18589 Apr 18593mths 24days2nd (1858 - 1859)
University of Sydney Committee No.814 Jan 18599 Apr 18592mths 27days2nd (1858 - 1859)
Sydney Grammar School Committee No.613 Sep 18594 Jul 18609mths 22days3rd (1859 - 1860)
University of Sydney Committee No.513 Sep 18594 Jul 18609mths 22days3rd (1859 - 1860)
Working of the Sydney Municipal Council Committee No.1220 Sep 18594 Jul 18609mths 15days3rd (1859 - 1860)
Case of James Hibburd Committee No.1623 Sep 18594 Jul 18609mths 12days3rd (1859 - 1860)
Petition of Mrs Frances Dr Courcy Committee No.2518 Oct 18594 Jul 18608mths 17days3rd (1859 - 1860)
Hawkesbury Benevolent Society’s Act Amendment Bill Committee No.3516 Feb 18604 Jul 18604mths 19days3rd (1859 - 1860)
United Fire and Life Insurance Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.4124 Oct 18624 Nov 186212days4th (1860 - 1864)
Standing Orders Committee No.224 Jun 186310 Dec 18635mths 17days4th (1860 - 1864)
Library Committee No.324 Jun 186331 Mar 18649mths 8days4th (1860 - 1864)
Payments made out of Public Funds without Authority of Parliament Committee No.426 Jun 186318 Aug 18631mth 24days4th (1860 - 1864)
Mr James K.Montgomery – Claim for Compensation Committee No.2415 Sep 186322 Apr 18647mths 8days4th (1860 - 1864)
Claim of Robert to Land in Illawarra Committee No.3416 Feb 186411 Mar 186425days4th (1860 - 1864)
Library Committee No.319 Oct 18649 Nov 186422days4th (1860 - 1864)
Standing Orders Committee No.219 Oct 18649 Nov 186422days4th (1860 - 1864)

Community Activity

Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace. Vice - President and Honorary Counsel for the Society for Prevention and Cruelty to Animals. Trustee Public Library. Fellow of St John's College, University of Sydney. Fellow, Senate, University of Sydney. Steward, Australian Jockey Club. Member of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. Member of Southern Cross Masonic Lodge.


Qualifications, occupations and interests

Lawyer (Barrister). Educated in St. Mary's seminary and Sydney College. Dalley worked as a clerk, articled to F.W. Unwin in 1853 and was admitted to the Bar in July 1856. Returning to New South Wales after visiting England, Ireland and Europe in 1860 he was appointed immigration commissioner with Henry Parkes in 1861 to tour Britain. Returned from touring Britain in 1862 and became a leading criminal lawyer; and was refused elevation to the Supreme Court in 1876, and became a Queen's Counsel in 1877. Editor and part proprietor of Freeman's Journal 1865 and contibuted to many newspapers and magazines on literary and political topics. Financial independence and demand for his services encouraged him to accept only important cases. Dalley could hold his place with any barrister, not only in advocacy but in legal argument, and at his peak he was briefed in many fields of the law.


Honours Received

Queens Counsel (QC) in 1877. Privy Councillor (PC) 1886. Memorial statue erected in Hyde Park, Sydney looking down Macquarie Street to the Law Courts and Parliament House. Bust by Simonetti placed in the Legislative Council Chamber in 1886.


Personal

Son of John Dalley, storekeeper, and his wife Catherine Spillane, who were both transported as convicts. Married Eleanor Jane Long on 15 June 1872 in Darlinghurst and had issue, 3 sons and 2 daughters. He received a substantial legacy from his father in 1871. Roman Catholic, but had a Church of England wedding. Buried in Waverley cemetery.


Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4



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