Parliamentary activity
Information about members' parliamentary service including their positions held and biography.
Positions
| Position | Start | End | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal District of Inverell Reduced Area Bill Committee No.13 | Tue 24 July 1900 | Thu 18 October 1900 | 2 months 25 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.3 | Wed 20 June 1900 | Wed 05 December 1900 | 5 months 16 days | |
| Yass Roman Catholic Church Trustees Enabling Bill Committee No.24 | Thu 21 December 1899 | Fri 22 December 1899 | 2 days | |
| Claim of James and Patrick Guihan of Kangaroo Valley Committee No.19 | Tue 21 November 1899 | Thu 30 November 1899 | 10 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.6 | Wed 02 August 1899 | Tue 10 October 1899 | 2 months 9 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.3 | Tue 21 February 1899 | Thu 30 March 1899 | 1 month 10 days | |
| Case of Sydney Cooper as to Mining under a Road, parish of Clive, county of Gough Committee No. 17 | Thu 27 October 1898 | Fri 23 December 1898 | 1 month 27 days | |
| City and North Sydney Connection Bill Committee No. 11 | Tue 20 September 1898 | Fri 23 December 1898 | 3 months 4 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No. 5 | Thu 25 August 1898 | Fri 23 December 1898 | 3 months 29 days | |
| Member for Braidwood | Wed 27 July 1898 | Tue 11 June 1901 | 2 years 10 months 16 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No. 3 | Tue 28 June 1898 | Fri 08 July 1898 | 11 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.4 | Wed 28 April 1897 | Fri 10 December 1897 | 7 months 13 days | |
| Claim of Mr. Alfred J.Hack Committee No.28 | Tue 22 September 1896 | Mon 16 November 1896 | 1 month 26 days | |
| Ryan’s Conditional Purchase in the Wagga Wagga Land District Committee No.21 | Tue 04 August 1896 | Thu 10 September 1896 | 1 month 7 days | |
| City and North Sydney Tunnel Roadway Bill Committee No.14 | Wed 01 July 1896 | Tue 14 July 1896 | 14 days | |
| Case of Staff Sergeant W.Jiffkins Committee No.11 | Tue 30 June 1896 | Wed 26 August 1896 | 1 month 28 days | |
| Old Age Pension Committee No.9 | Tue 16 June 1896 | Wed 16 September 1896 | 3 months 1 day | |
| Refreshment Committee No.4 | Thu 14 May 1896 | Mon 16 November 1896 | 6 months 3 days | |
| City and North Sydney Railway Bill Committee No.16 | Thu 12 December 1895 | Thu 19 December 1895 | 8 days | |
| Wellington Show Ground Hill Committee No.15 | Tue 12 November 1895 | Tue 03 December 1895 | 22 days | |
| Crown Pastoral, Agricultural and Horticultural Association Bill Committee No.14 | Wed 06 November 1895 | Thu 28 November 1895 | 23 days | |
| Refreshment. Committee No. 4 | Tue 20 August 1895 | Fri 08 July 1898 | 2 years 10 months 19 days | |
| Member for Braidwood | Wed 24 July 1895 | Fri 08 July 1898 | 2 years 11 months 15 days | |
| Appropriation Bill. Committee No. 15 | Fri 21 December 1894 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 6 months 15 days | |
| Amendment of the Mining Laws. Committee No. 12 | Tue 27 November 1894 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 7 months 9 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No. 4 | Wed 29 August 1894 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 10 months 8 days | |
| Member for Braidwood | Tue 17 July 1894 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 11 months 19 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.5 | Tue 23 January 1894 | Mon 11 June 1894 | 4 months 20 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.5 | Wed 27 September 1893 | Fri 08 December 1893 | 2 months 12 days | |
| William Stafford, ex Mounted Sergeant of Police Committee No.23 | Wed 12 April 1893 | Fri 12 May 1893 | 1 month 1 day | |
| Refreshment Committee No.7 | Wed 05 October 1892 | Tue 18 October 1892 | 14 days | |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly | Wed 24 June 1891 | Tue 11 June 1901 | 9 years 11 months 19 days | |
| Member for Braidwood | Wed 24 June 1891 | Mon 25 June 1894 | 3 years 2 days | |
| Case of Staff Sergeant W.Jiffkins Committee No.13 | Fri 24 April 1891 | Wed 09 May 1894 | 3 years 16 days |
Biography
Political party activity
He was the first Government Whip in the Commonwealth Parliament in 1901- 1903.
Community activity
Member of the Braidwood Literary Institute. Secretary of Braidwood Hospital. Secretary of Braidwood Railway League. Attended the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. Represented Australia, New Zealand and Fiji at the International Postal Union Congress in Rome in 1906. Chairman of the Royal Commission which recommended old age pensions in 1906. Commissioner for the Australian section of the British Empire Exhibition in London, 1923- 1924.
Member of the Commonwealth Board of Trade 1923- 1926.
Honours Received
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) June 1924.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Member of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. Member of the House of Representatives for Eden-Monaro 1901 - 1926.
Personal information
Son of Richard, a wheelwright and publican, and Monica Kean. Married Catherine O'Brien of Belle Vue Station on 23 October 1894 and had issue, 2 sons and 2 daughters. In 1909, he was paralysed in one arm, after suffering a stroke. His brother, Albert Chapman, was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly. Estate was valued at probate for £34,811. Roman Catholic.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Publican, businessman and auctioneer. Educated at Marulan Public School. Was a businessman when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly. Apprenticed to a saddler at Marulan at the age of 14 and then worked at Goulburn and Mudgee. By 1885, he operated the Chapman's Hotel, Bungendore. In 1887, moved to Sydney as managing partner of the firm Chapman and Company. His partner E W O'Sullivan was at that time a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Queanbeyan. (He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the 12th to 21st Parliaments. Twice held Ministerial positions.) At the same time, Chapman kept the Emu Inn in Bathurst St, Sydney.
In October 1889, his partnership with O'Sullivan dissolved and he opened the Royal Hotel, Braidwood. Established himself in business as an auctioneer and commercial agent. Was also an investor and director of local dredging companies including Araluen Central Gold Dredging Company, Redbank Gold Dredging Company and Victorian Araluen Dredging Company. Raced his own horses.
Moved his auctioneering and commercial agent's business to Sydney, after selling the Royal Hotel at Braidwood to his brother-in-law. He established households in Sydney and Melbourne but visited Braidwood regularly.
Additional information
References: Australian Dictionary of Biography, volume seven; Members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales 1856-1901; A Biographical Register of the Commonwealth Parliament 1901-1972.