Sir Henry Watson Parker (1808 - 1881)

Date of birth:

Wed 01 June 1808

Place of birth:

Lewisham, England

Date of death:

Wed 02 February 1881

Place of death:

Richmond, Surrey, England

Parliamentary activity

Information about members' parliamentary service including their positions held and biography.

Positions
PositionStartEndPeriodNotes
Secondary Punishment Committee No.8 Thu 27 August 1857Fri 18 December 18573 months 22 days
The Library Committee Wed 12 August 1857Fri 18 December 18574 months 7 days
Audit of the Accounts of the Revenues Committee Wed 12 August 1857Fri 18 December 18574 months 7 days
Standing Order Committee Wed 12 August 1857Fri 18 December 18574 months 7 days
The Library Committee Wed 12 August 1857Fri 18 December 18574 months 7 days
Member for Parramatta Fri 10 October 1856Sat 19 December 18571 year 2 months 10 days
Premier Fri 03 October 1856Mon 07 September 185711 months 5 days
Colonial Secretary Fri 03 October 1856Mon 07 September 185711 months 5 days
Additional Ministerial Department Committee No.12 Wed 20 August 1856Wed 18 March 18576 months 27 days
Masters’ and Servants’ Acts Constitution Bill Committee No.8 Wed 13 August 1856Wed 18 March 18577 months 6 days
City Commissioners’ Department Committee No.7 Tue 12 August 1856Wed 18 March 18577 months 7 days
Audit of the Revenue Accounts Committee No.6 Wed 06 August 1856Wed 18 March 18577 months 13 days
Petition of Peter Rawlings Committee No.5 Wed 04 June 1856Wed 18 March 18579 months 15 days
Standing Order Committee No.3 Tue 03 June 1856Wed 18 March 18579 months 16 days
Library Committee No.4 Tue 03 June 1856Wed 18 March 18579 months 16 days
Appointed by Speaker’s Warrant Wed 28 May 1856Wed 18 March 18579 months 19 days
Governor General's Opening Speech Fri 23 May 1856Fri 23 May 18561 day
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly Sat 29 March 1856Sat 19 December 18571 year 8 months 21 days
Member for Parramatta Sat 29 March 1856Fri 03 October 18566 months 5 days
Chairman of Committees Fri 17 October 1851Fri 29 February 18564 years 4 months 13 daysIn first Legislative Council
Member of the NSW Legislative Council Mon 13 October 1851Fri 29 February 18564 years 4 months 17 daysNon-elective Member of the first Legislative Council
Chairman of Committees Thu 17 May 1849Mon 30 June 18512 years 1 month 14 daysIn first Legislative Council
Member of the NSW Legislative Council Fri 08 December 1848Mon 30 June 18512 years 6 months 23 daysNon-elective Member of the first Legislative Council
Chairman of Committees Thu 28 May 1846Tue 20 June 18482 years 24 daysIn first Legislative Council
Member of the NSW Legislative Council Mon 11 May 1846Tue 20 June 18482 years 1 month 10 daysNon-elective Member of the first Legislative Council
Biography

Honours Received

Created a Knight in 1858. Appointed as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG ) in 1877.

Personal information

Son of Thomas Watson Parker and his wife Mary Cornell. Married Emmeline Emily Macarthur on 21 November 1843 in New South Wales, youngest daughter of John Macarthur.

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Public servant; private means. Educated privately by Dr Waite, domestic chaplain to Princess Sophia of Gloucester. Advised to undertake sea travel for health, joined East India Co., visiting India, China, Cape of Good Hope. Then toured France, Holland, Belgium. No employment until 1837 when appointed private secretary to Governor Gipps. Arrived at Sydney with Gipps on 24 February 1838. Had extensive private means and built large house, Clovelly, at Watsons Bay. Crown trustee Australian Museum 1848, official trustee 1856-1857. Returned to England 1858, living at Stawell House, Richmond. Opposed Gladstone at Greenwich 1868. Commissioner of Sydney and Melbourne Exhibitions 1879, 1880. Estate proved at under £140,000. His wife was a sister of James and William Macarthur (also Members of the Parliament of New South Wales).

Additional information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 5
David Clune and Ken Turner (Editors), The Premiers of New South Wales: Volume 1
- 1856 - 1901, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006 [Chapter 3: "Parker, Henry",
by Trevor McMinn, p. 55]

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