Sir Henry Parkes (1815 - 1896)

Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1877. Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1888.

Youngest son of Thomas Parkes, tenant farmer, and his wife Martha Faulconbridge. Married (1) Clarinda Varney on 11 July 1836 at Edgbaston, England, Clarinda, and had issue, of whom 1 son and 5 daughters survived him. Married (2) Eleanor Dixon on 6 February 1889 at Redfern, New South Wales, and had issue, 4 sons and 1 daughter who survived him. Married (3) Julia Lynch on 24 October 1895.

Ironmonger and Labourer. When his father was forced off his farm by debt in 1823, Parkes left with the family, finally settling in Birmingham in 1825 where he was a gardener and odd-job man. He had a limited education at Stoneleigh Parish School and later joined the Birmingham Mechanics' Institute. Starting work as a boy, he was a road labourer and worked in a brick-pit and ropewalk; later he was apprenticed to a bone and ivory turner. After serving his articles, he began his own business in 1837 which failed; he then went to London in 1837, pawning his tools to live. He then made the decision to emigrate to New South Wales, arriving there as a bounty immigrant with his young family on 25 July 1839.
On arrival in New South Wales he became a labourer for six months on Sir John Jamison's Regentville estate, later returning to Sydney to work in ironmongery and a brass foundry, and as a tide-waiter in the Customs Department. In 1845 he set up as an ivory turner and importer of fancy goods, opening branches in Maitland and Geelong. He was in financial difficulties by 1850.
He had contributed journalism to newspapers from the early 1840s and in 1850 established the 'Empire' on credit. He was the editor-proprietor until 1858, when he became bankrupt. He was in England from 1861 to early 1863 as Emigration Commissioner on a salary of £1,000. After his return he became an importer but was bankrupt in December 1870. He borrowed from friends and worked as a journalist, briefly being a travelling agent for H. H. Hall. He visited the United States of America, England and Europe for his health from December 1881 - August 1882 and returned to his business in 1883. He visited England as an agent for a Sydney firm from 1883 to 1884 while still holding his seat in the Legislative Assembly at the request of his constituents. He remained in financial difficulties.
He had joined the Birmingham Political Union when he was 17 and was a radical in his younger days. In 1848 he was the organising secretary, with J. K. Heydon, of the tradesmen's committee which successfully promoted Robert Lowe as a candidate for the elections to the first Legislative Council. He joined the Radical Constitutional Association in 1848 and served on the committee of the Anti-transportation Association. With the Reverend J. D. Lang and J. R. Wilshire he established the Australian League in 1850. He was also prominent in the Constitution Committee of 1853. In his later political career he inspired the Federation Conference and the Australasian Federation Conventions of 1890 - 1891.
He was elected to the old Legislative Council in 1854 and on the institution of responsible government in 1856 (when the old Council passed out of existence) he was elected to the new Legislative Assembly, remaining a member on and off until his death forty years later. He first gained high office under Premier James Martin in 1866 when he was appointed Colonial Secretary. He first became Premier in May 1872, holding this office five times.
Author of Stolen Moments, 1842; Murmurs of the Stream, 1857; Austral Views of England, 1869; Studies in Rhyme, 1870; Beauteous Terrorist and Other Poems, 1885; Fragmentary Thoughts, 1889; The Federal Government of Australasia, 1890; Fifty Years in the Making of Australian History, 1892; Sonnets and Other Verse, 1895