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Sir John SEE (1845 - 1907)

  • Date of Birth: 14/11/1845
  • Place of Birth: Yelling, Huntingdon, England
  • Date of Death: 31/01/1907
  • Place of Death: Randwick, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Parliament Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly26 Nov 188015 Jun 190423yr(s) 6mth(s) 21day(s)
Member of the NSW Legislative Council24 Aug 190431 Jan 19072yr(s) 5mth(s) 8day(s)Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 20 June 1904
Member for Grafton26 Nov 188023 Nov 18821yr(s) 11mth(s) 29day(s)10th (1880 - 1882)
Member for Grafton5 Dec 18827 Oct 18852yr(s) 10mth(s) 3day(s)11th (1882 - 1885)
Member for Grafton15 Oct 188526 Jan 18871yr(s) 3mth(s) 12day(s)12th (1885 - 1887)
Member for Grafton5 Feb 188719 Jan 18891yr(s) 11mth(s) 15day(s)13th (1887 - 1889)
Member for Grafton4 Feb 18896 Jun 18912yr(s) 4mth(s) 3day(s)14th (1889 - 1891)
Member for Grafton22 Jun 189126 Oct 18914mth(s) 5day(s)15th (1891 - 1894)
Member for Grafton7 Nov 189125 Jun 18942yr(s) 7mth(s) 19day(s)
Member for Grafton17 Jul 18945 Jul 189511mth(s) 19day(s)16th (1894 - 1895)
Member for Grafton20 Jul 18958 Jul 18982yr(s) 11mth(s) 19day(s)17th (1895 - 1898)
Member for Grafton27 Jul 189814 Sep 18991yr(s) 1mth(s) 19day(s)18th (1898 - 1901)
Member for Grafton22 Sep 189911 Jun 19011yr(s) 8mth(s) 21day(s)18th (1898 - 1901)
Member for Grafton3 Jul 190115 Jun 19042yr(s) 11mth(s) 13day(s)19th (1901 - 1904)
Postmaster General7 Oct 188521 Dec 18852mth(s) 15day(s)
Colonial Treasurer23 Oct 18912 Aug 18942yr(s) 9mth(s) 11day(s)
Colonial Secretary14 Sep 189927 Mar 19011yr(s) 6mth(s) 14day(s)
Colonial Secretary28 Mar 190114 Jun 19043yr(s) 2mth(s) 18day(s)
Premier28 Mar 190114 Jun 19043yr(s) 2mth(s) 18day(s)
Jeanneret’s Tramway Bill Committee No.1718 Mar 188129 Mar 188112days10th (1880 - 1882)
Grafton Presbyterian Church Land Sale Bill Committee No.2428 Oct 188124 Nov 188128days10th (1880 - 1882)
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.525 Aug 188228 Sep 18821mth 4days10th (1880 - 1882)
Working of the Fisheries Act of 1881 Committee No.730 Jan 188321 Apr 18832mths 23days11th (1882 - 1885)
Claim of Mr. Thomas Horton Committee No.3926 Feb 18844 Jul 18844mths 9days11th (1882 - 1885)
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.119 Nov 188419 Nov 18841day11th (1882 - 1885)
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.19 Sep 18859 Sep 18851day12th (1885 - 1887)
Refreshment Room Committee No.724 Sep 18852 Oct 18859days12th (1885 - 1887)
Christian Chapel Land Sale Bill Committee No.1025 Sep 18852 Oct 18858days12th (1885 - 1887)
Randwick Cemetery Unused Land Sale Bill Committee No.825 Sep 18852 Oct 18858days12th (1885 - 1887)
Barker’s Estate Bill Committee No.1929 Sep 188530 Sep 18852days12th (1885 - 1887)
St Mary’s Waverley Church of England Sale Bill Committee No.1829 Sep 188530 Sep 18852days12th (1885 - 1887)
Claim of Mr Thomas Horton Committee No.1528 Jan 188610 Feb 188614days12th (1885 - 1887)
Alleged Abuses in Connection with the Shipping of New South Wales Committee No.5118 Jun 188625 Oct 18864mths 8days12th (1885 - 1887)
Privilege-Mr Barbour, MP Committee No.5322 Jun 188622 Jul 18861mth 1day12th (1885 - 1887)
Illawarra Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.6224 Aug 188627 Aug 18864days12th (1885 - 1887)
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.622 Sep 188711 Oct 188720days13th (1887 - 1889)
Purchase by the Government of land adjoining the Australasian Steam Navigation Company’s Wharf Committee No.1028 Sep 188729 Feb 18885mths 2days13th (1887 - 1889)
Trustees of Presbyterian Cemetery at Maclean Committee No.2113 Oct 188726 Oct 188714days13th (1887 - 1889)
Grafton School of Arts Trustees Enabling Bill Committee No.3125 Nov 188714 Dec 188720days13th (1887 - 1889)Chairman
Petition of George Matcham Pitt, junior Committee No.3316 Dec 188718884mths 11days13th (1887 - 1889)
West Maitland Cattle Sale-yards Bill Committee No.6012 Jun 188814 Jun 18883days13th (1887 - 1889)
Agricultural Society of New South Wales Lease Bill Committee No.95 Dec 188910 Dec 18896days14th (1889 - 1891)
Post Office Savings Bank-National Bank Committee No.1529 Nov 189216 May 18935mths 18days15th (1891 - 1894)
Silkstone Coal-mine Railway Act Amending Bill Committee No.1015 Nov 189321 Nov 18937days15th (1891 - 1894)
Operation of the Shipping Laws Committee No.623 Jan 18945 Jun 18944mths 14days16th (1894 - 1895)
Address of Condolence to Lady Duff. Committee No. 1619 Mar 18955 Jul 18953mths 17days16th (1894 - 1895)
Standing Orders. Committee No. 220 Aug 18958 Jul 18982yrs 10mths 19days17th (1895 - 1898)
Standing Orders Committee No.214 May 189616 Nov 18966mths 3days17th (1895 - 1898)
North Shore Bridge Bill Committee No.131 Jul 189628 Jul 189628days17th (1895 - 1898)
Standing Orders Committee No.228 Apr 189718 Aug 18973mths 22days17th (1895 - 1898)
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.628 Apr 189710 Dec 18977mths 13days17th (1895 - 1898)
Standing Orders Committee No. 228 Jun 18988 Jul 189811days17th (1895 - 1898)
Standing Orders Committee No. 325 Aug 189823 Dec 18983mths 29days18th (1898 - 1901)
Standing Orders Committee No.121 Feb 189930 Mar 18991mth 10days18th (1898 - 1901)
Standing Orders Committee No.213 Apr 189921 Apr 18999days18th (1898 - 1901)
Standing Orders Committee No.48 Aug 189923 Dec 18994mths 16days18th (1898 - 1901)
Claim of Mr Sherlock Barron, North Botany Committee No.1015 Aug 189923 Nov 18993mths 9days18th (1898 - 1901)
Lismore Municipal Boundaries Bill Committee No.1219 Oct 189924 Oct 18996days18th (1898 - 1901)
Standing Orders Committee No.420 Jun 190024 Jul 19001mth 5days18th (1898 - 1901)
Claim of Mr. J. L. Davidson, Paddington Committee No. 123 Jul 190013 Sep 19002mths 11days18th (1898 - 1901)
Municipal District of Inverell Reduced Area Bill Committee No.1324 Jul 190018 Oct 19002mths 25days18th (1898 - 1901)
Administration of the Military Department Committee No.1426 Jul 19001 Nov 19003mths 7days18th (1898 - 1901)
Case of Quartermaster Sergeant Troy Committee No.216 Sep 190029 Sep 190024days18th (1898 - 1901)
Removal from the Public Service of Mr Frederick Glynn Committee No.36 Aug 190119 Dec 19014mths 14days19th (1901 - 1904)
Printing Committee No.78 Aug 190119 Dec 19014mths 12days19th (1901 - 1904)
Standing Orders Committee No.58 Aug 190120 Dec 19014mths 13days19th (1901 - 1904)
Refreshment Committee No.68 Aug 190120 Dec 19014mths 13days19th (1901 - 1904)
Library Committee No.48 Aug 190120 Dec 19014mths 13days19th (1901 - 1904)
Claims of Robert Roberts, late bookbinder in the Registrar-General’s Office Committee No.1420 Nov 190119 Dec 190130days19th (1901 - 1904)
Inverell Gas, Coke, Coal, and Electric Lighting Company (Limited) Bill Committee No.1517 Dec 190118 Dec 19012days19th (1901 - 1904)
Printing Committee No.617 Jun 190219 Dec 19026mths 3days19th (1901 - 1904)
Refreshment Committee No.517 Jun 190220 Dec 19026mths 4days19th (1901 - 1904)
Library Committee No.317 Jun 190220 Dec 19026mths 4days19th (1901 - 1904)
System of Municipal Government for Greater Sydney Committee No.920 Jun 190220 Dec 19026mths 1day19th (1901 - 1904)
Claim of Robert Roberts, late bookbinder in the Registrar General’s Office Committee No.1219 Aug 190214 Nov 19022mths 27days19th (1901 - 1904)
Condition of the Blind Workers of the State Committee No.169 Sep 190220 Dec 19023mths 12days19th (1901 - 1904)
Printing Committee No.71 Jul 19031 Dec 19035mths 1day19th (1901 - 1904)
Library Committee No.51 Jul 19031 Dec 19035mths 1day19th (1901 - 1904)
Refreshment Committee No.61 Jul 19031 Dec 19035mths 1day19th (1901 - 1904)
Standing Orders Committee No.41 Jul 19031 Dec 19035mths 1day19th (1901 - 1904)
Prevalence of the Gambling Evil Committee No.1020 Aug 19031 Dec 19033mths 12days19th (1901 - 1904)
Brodie’s Enabling Act Amendment Bill Committee No.122 Sep 190316 Sep 190315days19th (1901 - 1904)

Community Activity

Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1878; Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1902


Qualifications, occupations and interests

Merchant; shipowner. Arrived in New South Wales with parents 1853; family settled on Hunter River. Educated in Hinton, Hunter River. Worked on family farm; with brothers took up land at Southgate on the Clarence River in 1861. Moved to Sydney in 1865; became produce merchant, firm becoming John See & Company 1884; partner in Nipper & See, coastal shipping line, which in 1891 amalgamated with two other lines to form North Coast Steam Navigation Company., of which See became managing director; director of Newcastle and Hunter River Steam Navigation Company., and of London and Lancashire Fire Insurance Company, North Old Insurance Company, Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation, W.H. Soul Pattinson & Co., Gloucester Estate Company. Also director of Citizens' Life Assurance Company., chairman 1896-1907. Held interest in Daily Telegraph Newspaper Company.; founder and director Australia Star Newspaper Company in 1887. Known as a shrewd investor; speculated successfully in land. Trustee of the Savings Bank of New South Wales. President of Royal Agricultural Society 1890-1907; Director of Sydney Hospital 1900-1903; trustee National Park, Captain Cook's Landing Place, Kurnell, and Sydney Cricket Ground. Commander International Exhibitions Amsterdam 1883; Calcutta 1884, London 1886, Melbourne 1888, Chicago 1893. Freemason.


Local Government Activity

Alderman Randwick 1878 until 1890. Mayor 1880 until 1881, 1886


Personal

Third son of Joseph See, farmer, and his wife Mary Ann Bailey. Married Charlotte Mary Matthews in February 1875, and had issue 10 children; 3 sons and 4 daughters survived him.


Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11 G. G. O'Brien, "John See: Colonial Treasurer and some developments affecting the Treasury of New South Wales 1891 - 1894", MA Thesis, University of Sydney, 1973. Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Sir John See - papers, 1885 - 1905 (A3649 - A3677, *D2) [CY 3589 - CY] 3590; photographs in the PICMAN Database.



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