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Bicentenary Resources

Bicentenary Resources

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Hungry for more historical information? Find it here.

There's plenty more to explore! The resources on this page offer everything from top-level to in-depth reading on the Legislative Council's establishment and evolution, and the related colonial history of NSW. This page will be updated as new materials and news articles are published as part of the Bicentenary program.
Bicentenary news
Preserving the Parliament (April 2023)
Official launch of the Bicentenary by the Governor of New South Wales (October 2022)


Bicentenary background and context
The below links to the NSW Parliament's 'History of democracy' pages provide historical context and background to the Bicentenary celebrations.
  • 1810 to 1821 – Under Governor Lachlan Macquarie
    Governor Lachlan Macquarie was NSW's fifth and last autocratic governor. Responsible for an extensive building and infrastructure program that established the fabric of NSW, his time in power saw the colony transition from a penal settlement at the end of the earth to a self-sufficient and stable society.
  • 1822 to 1842 – The First Legislature
    With the passage of the British Parliament's New South Wales Act 1823, the first Legislature of NSW was established, ushering in the beginnings of representative government.
  • 1843 to 1855 – Towards Responsible Government
    With the passage of the British Parliament's New South Wales Act 1823, the first Legislature of NSW was established, ushering in the beginnings of representative government.
  • 1856 to 1889 – Responsible Government and Colonial Development
    With the passage of the British Parliament's New South Wales Act 1823, the first Legislature of NSW was established, ushering in the beginnings of representative government.
​People
The links below provide basic biographical information on some of the key people associated with NSW's political development and the Bicentenary celebrations.
  • Australian Dictionary of Biography - external link to the Australian Dictionary of Biography
    An initiative of the National Centre of Biography at the Australian National University, this online resource provides concise information about concise information on significant figures in Australian history. In printed version, volumes one through six provide information on people relevant to the bicentenary.
  • Greenway, Francis (1777-1837) - external link to the Australian Dictionary of Biography
    Francis Greenway was appointed the Colonial Architect under Governor Lachlan Macquarie. A former convict, he was responsible for the designs of many of the state's most iconic buildings, such as St James Church and Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney.
  • Macquarie, Elizabeth Henrietta (1778-1835) - external link to the Australian Dictionary of Biography
    The wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, Elizabeth Macquarie was as influential as her husband on developing the early fabric and society of NSW.
  • Macquarie, Lachlan (1762-1824) - external link to the Australian Dictionary of Biography
    The fifth and last autocratic governor of NSW, Lachlan Macquarie was a hugely influential figure in our early colonial history.
  • Wentworth, William Charles (1790-1872)  - external link to the Australian Dictionary of Biography
    Politician, author, journalist and explorer, Wentworth is one of the most influential and celebrated figures in early colonial NSW. A former member and President of the Legislative Council, he's remembered as the 'Father of the NSW Constitution'.
     Visit the Parliament's former member page for Wentworth
​Books and articles
These hard-copy resources (some also available online) provide insights and background to the establishment and early evolution of the Legislaive Council, and what was happening in the colony around that time.
  • DWA Baker, Days of Wrath: a life of John Dunmore Lang, Melbourne University Press, 1985
  • JM Bennett, A History of the Supreme Court of NSW, Law Book Company, Sydney, 1974
  • SJ Butlin, Foundations of the Australian Monetary System, 1788-1851, Melbourne University Press, 1953
  • D Clune, ‘The Development of Legislative Institutions in NSW, 1823-1843’ in Australasian Parliamentary Review, Vol. 25 No. 2, Spring 2010
  • D Clune, ‘1843: The Year It All Began’ in Australasian Parliamentary Review, Vol. 26 No. 1, Autumn 2011
  • D Clune and K Turner eds, The Governors of NSW, 1788-2010, Federation Press, 2009
  • P Cochrane, Colonial Ambition: foundations of Australian democracy, Melbourne University Press 2006
  • SG Foster, Colonial improver: Edward Deas Thomson 1800-79, Melbourne University Press, 1978
  • H Golder, Politics, Patronage and Public Works: the administration of NSW, Vol 1, 1842-1900, University of NSW Press, 2005
  • J Hirst, Freedom on the Fatal Shore: Australia’s first colony, Black Inc, Melbourne, 2008
  • T Irving, The Southern Tree of Liberty: the democratic movement in NSW before 1856, Federation Press 2006
  • DN Jeans, An Historical Geography of NSW to 1901, Reed Education, 1972
  • R Knight, Illiberal Liberal: Robert Lowe in NSW, 1842-50, Melbourne University Press, 1966
  • A McMartin, Public Servants and Patronage: the foundation and rise of the NSW Public Service, 1786-1859, Sydney University Press, 1983
  • AW Martin, Henry Parkes: a biography, Melbourne University Press, 1980
  • JN Molony, An Architect of Freedom: John Hubert Plunkett in NSW 1832-69, Australian National University Press, 1973
  • A Powell, Patrician Democrat: the political life of Charles Cowper, 1843-1870, Melbourne University Press, 1977
  • T Richards, An Epitome of the Official History of NSW, Government Printer, Sydney, 1883
  • M Roe, The Quest for Authority in Eastern Australia 1835-1851, Melbourne University Press, 1965
  • MMH Thompson, The Seeds of Democracy: early elections in colonial NSW, Federation Press, Sydney, 2006
  • A Tink, William Charles Wentworth: Australia’s greatest native son, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2009
  • A Twomey, The Constitution of NSW, Federation Press, Sydney, 2004
  • JM Ward, Colonial Self-Government: the British experience 1759-1856, Macmillan, London, 1976
  • JM Ward, James Macarthur: colonial conservative, 1798-1867, Sydney University Press, 1981
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