The Speakers' Chair

The Speakers' Chair has a unique place in the history of the Parliament – it is a chair that has been used by the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly as their Speaker's Chair.

The Speakers' Chair was first depicted in a watercolour sketch of what is now the Legislative Assembly Chamber in 1853. At that time the Chamber was used by the Legislative Council for sittings, and this was the Legislative Council Speaker's Chair. After the start of the bicameral Parliament in 1856, the Legislative Council's presiding officer became 'the President' and the newly created Legislative Assembly's presiding officer 'the Speaker'. The Chair was then used by the Assembly Speaker during the first sittings of the Legislative Assembly in 1856.

You are welcome to take a seat and a photo on your next visit!

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An ornate wooden chair with square topped ornaments.

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An ornate wood and green leather chair.

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Historical images of the chair

The earliest documented depiction of the Speaker’s Chair is a watercolour sketch from 1853 by William Leigh. This artwork illustrates the Legislative Assembly chamber's interior, oriented eastward toward the Speaker’s Chair, featuring gothic arched windows, timber panelling, and the long central desk.

It is believed this is the first image of the Speaker’s Chair due to the square shaped top to the finials (ornaments) on the chair, a feature that does not appear on the current Speaker’s Chair (the third chair used in the chamber), which has turreted finials.

A sketch of the Legislative Council Chamber by William Leigh, drawn in 1853.

The first image known of the chair. Sketch from 1853. (Source: State Library of NSW PXA 1988/33).

The second image of the chair appears in a lithograph from 1858, depicting Speaker Sir Daniel Cooper. The Speaker’s Chair is identifiable by its overall design, square-topped finials, and crenelated detail between the finials and central pediment.

A sketch of Sir Daniel Cooper sitting in the Speakers' Chair.

Sir Daniel Cooper, State Library of NSW, Call Numbers: P2/483, Record Identifier: npAdVx51

Newspaper articles from the 1860s indicate that alterations to the chamber may have led to the removal of the chair. An October 1865 sketch depicts a chair with different front legs, hinting at a possible replacement of the Speaker’s Chair before the sketch was published. The chair was seen in the Standing Committee Room in both 1916 and 1919. In 2025, it was relocated next to the Legislative Assembly Reception Desk.

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