Sir Francis Bathurst SUTTOR (1839 - 1915)**

Date of Birth: 30/04/1839 Place of Birth: Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia Date of Death: 04/04/1915 Place of Death: Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Notes Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 2 Jan 1875 12 Jun 1900 25yr(s) 5mth(s) 11day(s) Member of the NSW Legislative Council 27 Feb 1889 13 Jun 1891 2yr(s) 3mth(s) 18day(s) Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 21 February 1889 Member of the NSW Legislative Council 12 Jun 1900 4 Apr 1915 14yr(s) 9mth(s) 24day(s) Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 12 June 1900. Granted retention of "Honourable" for life. Member for Bathurst 2 Jan 1875 22 Mar 1877 2yr(s) 2mth(s) 21day(s) 8th (1875 - 1877) Member for Bathurst 3 Apr 1877 12 Oct 1877 6mth(s) 10day(s) 8th (1875 - 1877) Member for Bathurst 29 Oct 1877 20 Dec 1878 1yr(s) 1mth(s) 22day(s) 9th (1877 - 1880) Member for Bathurst 31 Dec 1878 31 Dec 1878 1day(s) 9th (1877 - 1880) Member for Bathurst 19 Nov 1880 23 Nov 1882 2yr(s) 5day(s) 10th (1880 - 1882) Member for Bathurst 2 Dec 1882 31 Jan 1884 1yr(s) 1mth(s) 30day(s) 11th (1882 - 1885) Member for Bathurst 8 Feb 1884 7 Oct 1885 1yr(s) 7mth(s) 30day(s) 11th (1882 - 1885) Member for Bathurst 23 Oct 1885 2 Mar 1886 4mth(s) 8day(s) 12th (1885 - 1887) Member for Bathurst 9 Mar 1886 26 Jan 1887 10mth(s) 18day(s) 12th (1885 - 1887) Member for Bathurst 17 Jun 1891 26 Oct 1891 4mth(s) 10day(s) 15th (1891 - 1894) Member for Bathurst 4 Nov 1891 25 Jun 1894 2yr(s) 7mth(s) 22day(s) 15th (1891 - 1894) Member for Bathurst 27 Jul 1898 12 Jun 1900 1yr(s) 10mth(s) 17day(s) 18th (1898 - 1901) Minister for Justice and Public Instruction 22 Mar 1877 16 Aug 1877 4mth(s) 26day(s) Minister for Justice and Public Instruction 21 Dec 1878 30 Apr 1880 1yr(s) 4mth(s) 10day(s) Minister of Justice 1 May 1880 10 Aug 1880 3mth(s) 10day(s) Postmaster General 11 Aug 1881 13 Nov 1881 3mth(s) 3day(s) Acting Secretary for Mines 30 Aug 1881 11 Oct 1881 1mth(s) 12day(s) Minister of Public Instruction 14 Nov 1881 4 Jan 1883 1yr(s) 1mth(s) 22day(s) Postmaster General 26 Feb 1886 19 Jan 1887 10mth(s) 25day(s) Minister of Public Instruction 17 Jan 1889 7 Mar 1889 1mth(s) 19day(s) Minister of Public Instruction 23 Oct 1891 2 Aug 1894 2yr(s) 9mth(s) 11day(s) Colonial Secretary 30 Apr 1892 13 Sep 1892 4mth(s) 15day(s) Vice President of Executive Council 12 Jun 1900 23 May 1903 2yrs 11mths 12days President of the Legislative Council 23 May 1903 4 Apr 1915 11yr(s) 10mth(s) 13day(s) Dubbo Presbyterian Manse Trustee Bill Committee No.10 27 Apr 1875 29 Apr 1875 3days 8th (1875 - 1877) Removal of Public Money from Bank of New South Wales Committee No.14 11 May 1875 22 Jun 1875 1mth 12days 8th (1875 - 1877) Australasia Coal Company’s Bill Committee No.16 10 Jun 1875 7 Jul 1875 28days 8th (1875 - 1877) Fitzgerald’s Enabling Bill Committee No.8 1 Dec 1875 14 Dec 1875 14days 8th (1875 - 1877) Employment of Children Committee No.9 14 Dec 1875 3 Aug 1876 7mths 21days 8th (1875 - 1877) Bathurst Markets Amendment Bill Committee No.17 7 Mar 1876 17 Mar 1876 11days 8th (1875 - 1877) Bathurst Hospital Bill Committee No.19 15 Mar 1876 18 Mar 1876 4days 8th (1875 - 1877) Murrumbidgee Turf Club Bill Committee No.20 22 Mar 1876 19 Apr 1876 29days 8th (1875 - 1877) Report of Examiner of Coal Fields on Land held by Messrs Garrett and Greville Committee No.26 4 Aug 1876 17 Aug 1876 14days 8th (1875 - 1877) The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 12 Dec 1876 12 Dec 1876 1day 8th (1875 - 1877) Employment of Children Committee No.6 19 Dec 1876 30 Jan 1877 1mth 12days 8th (1875 - 1877) Bathurst and Grafton and Armidale Lands Transfer Bill Committee No.13 30 Jan 1877 22 Feb 1877 24days 8th (1875 - 1877) Throsby’s Leasing Act Amendment Bill Committee No.16 9 Feb 1877 16 Feb 1877 8days 8th (1875 - 1877) Mr John Garsed Committee No.17 4 May 1877 11 Oct 1877 5mths 8days 8th (1875 - 1877) Patrick Nugent’s Conditional Purchase Committee No.18 19 Mar 1878 3 Apr 1878 16days 9th (1877 - 1880) Jury List – Deniliquin Committee No.13 22 Oct 1878 20 May 1879 6mths 29days 9th (1877 - 1880) Library Committee No.2 29 Oct 1879 13 Jul 1880 8mths 15days 9th (1877 - 1880) Payments to Discharged Prisoners Committee No.10 25 Nov 1879 13 Jul 1880 7mths 19days 9th (1877 - 1880) Equity Branch of the Supreme Court Committee No.12 2 Dec 1879 22 Jun 1880 6mths 21days 9th (1877 - 1880) Boroughs of Randwick and Paddington Bill Committee No.23 7 Dec 1883 5 Mar 1884 2mths 28days 11th (1882 - 1885) City Bank Bill Committee No.50 23 May 1884 4 Jun 1884 13days 11th (1882 - 1885) Stirling’s Trusts Bill Committee No.51 5 Jun 1884 25 Jun 1884 21days 11th (1882 - 1885) Chairman Purchase of Railway Rolling Stock Committee No.56 12 Aug 1884 29 Oct 1884 2mths 18days 11th (1882 - 1885) Kite’s Leasing Bill Committee No.11 25 Sep 1885 2 Oct 1885 8days 12th (1885 - 1887) Kite’s Leasing Bill Committee No.7 4 Dec 1885 17 Feb 1886 2mths 14days 12th (1885 - 1887) Chairman Maryville Colliery Company Railway Bill Committee No.20 24 Feb 1886 29 Apr 1886 2mths 6days 12th (1885 - 1887) Mr Daniel Behan Committee No.59 6 Aug 1886 25 Oct 1886 2mths 20days 12th (1885 - 1887) Electric Light in Parliamentary Buildings Committee No.63 27 Aug 1886 25 Oct 1886 1mth 29days 12th (1885 - 1887) Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 16 Jul 1891 18 Aug 1892 1yr 1mth 3days 15th (1891 - 1894) Wagga Wagga School of Arts Enabling Bill Committee No.24 26 Nov 1891 9 Dec 1891 14days 15th (1891 - 1894) Raymond Terrace Mechanics School of Arts Sale Bill Committee No.14 16 Nov 1892 29 Nov 1892 14days 15th (1891 - 1894) Hay Athenaeum Trustees Enabling Bill Committee No.17 19 Jan 1893 1 Feb 1893 14days 15th (1891 - 1894) Gunnedah School of Arts Enabling Bill Committee No.20 23 Feb 1893 23 Mar 1893 1mth 1day 15th (1891 - 1894) Corowa School of Arts Enabling Bill Committee No.9 24 Oct 1893 8 Dec 1893 1mth 15days 15th (1891 - 1894) Elections and Qualifications Committee No. 2 17 Aug 1898 25 Oct 1898 2mths 9days 18th (1898 - 1901) North Shore Bridge Bill Committee No. 15 26 Oct 1898 23 Dec 1898 1mth 28days 18th (1898 - 1901) Tamworth Showground Bill Committee No.15 26 Oct 1899 23 Dec 1899 1mth 28days 18th (1898 - 1901) Library Committee No.3 24 Oct 1907 20 Dec 1907 1mth 27days 21st (1907 - 1910) Chairman Library Committee No.3 13 Mar 1908 11 Apr 1908 30days 21st (1907 - 1910) Chairman Library Committee No.4 5 Aug 1908 19 Dec 1908 4mths 15days 21st (1907 - 1910) Chairman Library Committee No.4 5 Aug 1908 19 Dec 1908 4mths 15days 21st (1907 - 1910) Chairman Library Committee No.4 14 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5mths 4days 21st (1907 - 1910) Library Committee No.4 28 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 1mth 24days 21st (1907 - 1910) Library Committee No.4 30 Nov 1910 23 Dec 1910 24days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Library Committee No.4 30 May 1911 1 Aug 1911 2mths 3days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Library Committee No.4 12 Sep 1911 28 Mar 1912 6mths 17days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Library Committee No.4 7 Aug 1912 5 Dec 1912 3mths 29days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Library Committee No.4 6 Aug 1913 15 Oct 1913 2mths 10days 22nd (1910 - 1913) Chairman

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Pastoralist. Educated at Bathurst and The King's School, Parramatta. At age 19 became manager of father's properties at Bathurst; took up Redbank and Katella near Wellington in 1863, then Bradwardine near Bathurst in 1873; noted breeder of sheep and coaching horses. Director several companies including Australia. Joint Stock Bank, Equitable Life Assurance Society, and Mutual Assurance Society of Victoria. Vice-president of the Sheepbreeders Association, president from 1903 until 1915; president of the Stockowners' Association of New South Wales. Trustee National Art Gallery of New South Wales from 1899 until 1915, vice president in 1915; trustee of the Australia Museum. Art Gallery of New South Wales from 1899 until 1915. Director of Sydney Hospital from 1904 until 1914. President of Council Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. Delegate to Colonial Conference, Ottawa, 1894. Member of Bathurst Church of England Synod, Chairman of Committees 1903, episcopal elector 1911. President of Royal Life Saving Society, Sydney Patron of Australia literature. Nephew of J.B. Suttor and brother of W.H. Suttor (jr) (qq.v.).

Honours Received

Knighted in 1903

Personal

Son of William Henry (q.v.) and Charlotte Augusta Anne Francis. Married Emily Hawkins on 29 July 1863 and had issue 4 sons and 5 daughters. Church of England.

Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6 Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South Wales', Sydney, 1995

Francis Suttor was born on 30 April 1839, near Bathurst. He belonged to a family with a rich tradition of political service. His father William Suttor, was a member of the Legislative Council and his brother William Suttor Junior, was a Member of both the Council and Assembly. Before embarking on his own political career, Suttor established several successful sheep properties in the Wellington and Bathurst districts. He married Emily Hawkins in July 1863 and they had four sons and five daughters. Francis Suttor was first elected to the Legislative Assembly as the Member for Bathurst in 1875. He was Minister for Justice and of Public Instruction in all of the Parker, administrations from 1877, Minister for Justice in 1880 and Postmaster-General from 1880 until 1881. He was Minister of Public Instruction in the Dibbs Administration of 1880; the acting Secretary for Mines in 1881; and from 1886 until 1887 again Postmaster-General under Jennings. In 1892 he was the acting Colonial Secretary. Although he was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1891 he successfully contested the lower house seat of Bathurst again. The decline of agricultural prices forced Suttor to reassess his position as a free trader. Although his defection to the protectionists camp cost him the both the support of Henry Parkes and the seat of Bathurst, his political career was far from over. When he entered the Legislative Council in 1900, he did so as the Vice-President of the Executive Council and the Government's Representative in the upper house. Suttor was appointed President of the Legislative Council in 1903, a position he held until his death in 1915. During his term as President, Suttor was faced with hostility from the Assembly's Speaker, Henry Willis (Speaker 1911-1913) who failed to consult with him over issues which had traditionally been joint responsibilities. However, the Parliamentary administration reverted to its former state after Mr Speaker Willis lost his office in 1913. Sir Francis Suttor died while still President at Darling Point on 4 April 1915.

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