Mr Varney PARKES (1859 - 1935)**

Date of Birth: 04/06/1859 Place of Birth: Ryde, New South Wales, Australia Date of Death: 14/05/1935 Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Notes Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 24 Sep 1885 6 Nov 1913 28yr(s) 1mth(s) 14day(s) Member for Central Cumberland 24 Sep 1885 7 Oct 1885 14day(s) 11th (1882 - 1885) Member for Central Cumberland 29 Oct 1885 26 Jan 1887 1yr(s) 2mth(s) 29day(s) 12th (1885 - 1887) Member for Central Cumberland 12 Feb 1887 1 Mar 1888 1yr(s) 19day(s) 13th (1887 - 1889) Member for East Sydney 17 Jun 1891 25 Jun 1894 3yr(s) 9day(s) 15th (1891 - 1894) Member for Canterbury 17 Jul 1894 3 Jun 1895 10mth(s) 18day(s) 16th (1894 - 1895) Member for Canterbury 11 Jun 1895 5 Jul 1895 25day(s) 16th (1894 - 1895) Member for Canterbury 24 Jul 1895 8 Jul 1898 2yr(s) 11mth(s) 15day(s) 17th (1895 - 1898) Member for Canterbury 27 Jul 1898 30 Aug 1898 1mth(s) 4day(s) 18th (1898 - 1901) Member for Canterbury 6 Sep 1898 4 Jun 1900 1yr(s) 8mth(s) 30day(s) 18th (1898 - 1901) Member for Canterbury 10 Sep 1907 14 Sep 1910 3yr(s) 5day(s) 21st (1907 - 1910) Member for Canterbury 14 Oct 1910 6 Nov 1913 3yr(s) 24day(s) 22nd (1910 - 1913) Postmaster-General 27 Aug 1898 13 Sep 1899 1yr(s) 18day(s) Mr Henry Arthur Hough Committee No.47 11 Jun 1886 8 Jul 1886 28days 12th (1885 - 1887) Refreshment Committee No.5 15 Mar 1887 13 Jul 1887 3mths 29days 13th (1887 - 1889) Sydney and Suburban Electric Lighting Bill Committee No.41 8 Feb 1888 16 May 1888 3mths 9days 13th (1887 - 1889) Elections and Qualifications No. 5 7 Aug 1894 5 Jul 1895 10mths 29days 16th (1894 - 1895) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 28 Aug 1894 28 Aug 1894 1day 16th (1894 - 1895) Refreshment Committee No. 4 29 Aug 1894 5 Jul 1895 10mths 7days 16th (1894 - 1895) Refreshment. Committee No. 4 20 Aug 1895 8 Jul 1898 2yrs 10mths 19days 17th (1895 - 1898) Illawarra Harbour and Land Corporation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.12 9 Oct 1895 22 Oct 1895 14days 17th (1895 - 1898) Wellington Show Ground Hill Committee No.15 12 Dec 1895 19 Dec 1895 8days 17th (1895 - 1898) Chairman Refreshment Committee No.4 14 May 1896 16 Nov 1896 6mths 3days 17th (1895 - 1898) City and North Sydney Tunnel Roadway Bill Committee No.14 1 Jul 1896 14 Jul 1896 14days 17th (1895 - 1898) Chairman Elections and Qualifications Committee No. 2 17 Aug 1898 30 Aug 1898 14days 18th (1898 - 1901) Municipal District of Broken Hill Electric Lighting Bill Committee No.9 10 Aug 1899 16 Aug 1899 7days 18th (1898 - 1901) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 9 Oct 1907 9 Oct 1907 1day 21st (1907 - 1910) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 21 Jul 1908 21 Jul 1908 1day 21st (1907 - 1910) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 29 Jun 1909 29 Sep 1909 3mths 1day 21st (1907 - 1910) Chairman Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 10 Aug 1909 9 Dec 1909 3mths 30days 21st (1907 - 1910) Claim by Mr J.S Gam – Rejection of sleepers by Central South African Government Committee No.9 30 Sep 1909 9 Dec 1909 2mths 10days 21st (1907 - 1910) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 14 Jun 1910 14 Jun 1910 1day 21st (1907 - 1910) Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 7 Jul 1910 20 Aug 1910 1mth 14days 21st (1907 - 1910) Canterbury Park Racecourse Company Limited Enabling Bill Committee No.7 24 Nov 1910 8 Dec 1910 15days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Chairman Warwick Farm Railway Act Extension Bill Committee No.7 31 May 1911 14 Jun 1911 15days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Claims of Madame Bell against the Education Department Commitment No.10 27 Jun 1911 1 Aug 1911 1mth 6days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Daylight Saving Principle Committee No.11 28 Jun 1911 1 Aug 1911 1mth 5days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Claims of Harry K.Carpenter Committee No.16 18 Jul 1911 1 Aug 1911 15days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Claims of Harry K.Carpenter Committee No.14 10 Oct 1911 22 Nov 1911 1mth 13days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Daylight Saving Principle Committee No.15 12 Oct 1911 28 Mar 1912 5mths 17days 22nd (1910 - 1913) System of Discrimination in Freight Charges on the Railways Committee No.21 14 Nov 1911 28 Mar 1912 4mths 15days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Administration of the Rocks resumed Area Committee No.20 14 Nov 1911 28 Mar 1912 4mths 15days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Australian Gaslight Company’s Bill Committee No.23 21 Mar 1912 28 Mar 1912 8days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Administration of the Rocks Resumed Area Committee No.7 20 Aug 1912 5 Dec 1912 3mths 16days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Parliamentary Accommodation Committee No.14 8 Nov 1912 5 Dec 1912 28days 22nd (1910 - 1913)

Political Party Activity

Freetrade and Liberal Party.

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Architect. Educated in public schools and The King's School at Parramatta. Worked in Bank of New South Wales and in Colonial Architect's Office. Continued as an architect living at Liverpool and later at Canterbury. Became bankrupt in 1895 and was discharged in 1907. On leaving politics built up a notable fossil collection, some of which were sold to the Australian Museum. Commissioner of the Adelaide Jubilee Exhibition in 1887.

Personal

Son (7th child) of Henry Parkes and his first wife, Clarinda Varney. Married (1) Mary Cameron Murray on 21 March 1883; she died five months later. Married (2) Isabella Cameron Murray (the elder sister of Mary Murray) on 24 December 1884, and they had 1 daughter and 2 sons (and 2 children who died when infants). Church of England. Funeral at Church of England cemetery in Faulconbridge.

Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), Volume 11. Louise Raine, 'Varney Parkes, Architect, 1859 - 1935', Bachelor of Architecture Thesis, University of New South Wales, 1977. Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: (A1052)(MLDOC 255) (*D180).

Last modified 21/02/2012 11:42:25   :   Update this page