Mr (John) John Hubert Plunkett (1802 - 1869)

Date of birth:

Tue 01 June 1802

Place of birth:

Mount Plunkett, County Roscommon, Ireland

Date of death:

Sun 09 May 1869

Place of death:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Parliamentary activity

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

Positions
PositionStartEndPeriodNotes
Vice-President of Executive Council and Representative of Government Tue 24 October 1865Sun 21 January 18662 months 29 days
Attorney General Fri 25 August 1865Sun 21 January 18664 months 28 days
Vice President of the Executive Council Fri 16 October 1863Thu 02 February 18651 year 3 months 18 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council Tue 01 October 1861Sun 09 May 18697 years 7 months 9 daysLife Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 24 June 1861
Public Prisons in Sydney and Cumberland Committee No.14 Tue 23 October 1860Fri 09 November 186018 days
Colonial Bank of Australia Incorporation Bill Committee No.13 Fri 19 October 1860Fri 09 November 186022 days
Present System of Tendering for the Public Service Committee No.11 Tue 16 October 1860Fri 09 November 186025 days
Petition of Mr Alexander Berry Committee No.9 Fri 12 October 1860Fri 09 November 186029 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.7 Fri 28 September 1860Fri 09 November 18601 month 13 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 Thu 27 September 1860Fri 09 November 18601 month 14 days
Dean of St Andrew’s Sydney Committee No.36 Fri 17 February 1860Wed 04 July 18604 months 18 days
Hawkesbury Benevolent Society’s Act Amendment Bill Committee No.35 Thu 16 February 1860Wed 04 July 18604 months 19 days
Petition of Alexander Berry, Esquire, Committee No.30 Fri 03 February 1860Wed 04 July 18605 months 2 days
Seat claimed by James Hoskins, Esquire, Committee No.23 Thu 13 October 1859Wed 04 July 18608 months 22 days
Condition of the Working Classes of the Metropolis Committee No.19 Fri 30 September 1859Wed 04 July 18609 months 6 days
Case of James Hibburd Committee No.16 Fri 23 September 1859Wed 04 July 18609 months 12 days
Working of the Sydney Municipal Council Committee No.12 Tue 20 September 1859Wed 04 July 18609 months 15 days
University of Sydney Committee No.5 Tue 13 September 1859Wed 04 July 18609 months 22 days
Sydney Grammar School Committee No.6 Tue 13 September 1859Wed 04 July 18609 months 22 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.4 Fri 02 September 1859Wed 04 July 186010 months 3 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 Thu 01 September 1859Wed 04 July 186010 months 4 days
Member for West Sydney Tue 14 June 1859Sat 10 November 18601 year 4 months 28 days
Proposed Vote of Censure on the Attorney General Committee No.11 Fri 25 March 1859Sat 09 April 185916 days
Parliamentary Accommodation Committee No.10 Thu 17 March 1859Sat 09 April 185924 days
Vacant Seat – Question of Privilege Committee No.9 Thu 03 March 1859Sat 09 April 18591 month 7 daysChairman
Extension of Railway to Windsor Committee No.6 Fri 17 December 1858Sat 09 April 18593 months 24 days
Member for Cumberland (North Riding) Mon 13 September 1858Mon 11 April 18596 months 30 days
President of the Legislative Council of New South Wales Thu 29 January 1857Sat 06 February 18581 year 9 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council Wed 28 January 1857Sat 06 February 18581 year 10 daysFirst (Quinquennial) Appointments under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 28 January 1857.
Australian Mutual Provident Society’s Bill Committee No.26 Fri 12 December 1856Wed 18 March 18573 months 7 days
Civil Service Superannuation Fund Committee No.19 Tue 11 November 1856Wed 18 March 18574 months 8 days
Deepening the River Hunter Committee No.16 Tue 04 November 1856Wed 18 March 18574 months 15 days
Additional Ministerial Department Committee No.12 Wed 20 August 1856Wed 18 March 18576 months 27 days
Church and School Lands Committee No.11 Tue 19 August 1856Wed 18 March 18577 months
City Commissioners’ Department Committee No.7 Tue 12 August 1856Wed 18 March 18577 months 7 days
Standing Order Committee No.3 Tue 03 June 1856Wed 18 March 18579 months 16 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly Mon 31 March 1856Sat 10 November 18604 years 7 months 12 days
Member for Argyle Mon 31 March 1856Tue 27 January 18579 months 29 days
Member for Bathurst (County) Mon 31 March 1856Thu 29 May 18562 months
Member of the NSW Legislative Council Mon 07 August 1843Fri 29 February 185612 years 6 months 23 daysA Non-Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 – 1856
Attorney-General Sat 17 September 1836Thu 05 June 185619 years 8 months 20 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council Tue 19 April 1836Sun 21 March 18414 years 11 months 3 daysAn Appointed Member of the first Legislative Council 1824 - 1843
Acting Attorney-General Tue 19 April 1836Fri 16 September 18364 months 29 days
Solicitor-General Thu 14 June 1832Fri 16 September 18364 years 3 months 3 days
Biography

Honours Received

Appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 1832

Personal information

Son of George, farmer connected with Irish Catholic aristocracy, and Eileen O'Kelly. Married Maria Charlotte McDonougha in London, England c. 1831 and had no issue.

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Retired public servant. Educated at non-Catholic schools, then Trinity College, Dublin (BA 1823). Called to Irish Bar 1826, later to England Bar; prominent lawyer on Connaught circuit 1826-1832; active supporter and associate of Daniel O'Connell; Given post of Solicitor-General for New South Wales, through influence of his kinsman, Lord Fingall, and O'Connell; Arrived in Sydney in June Promoted to Attorney-General 1836, retaining position until 1856 when retired on pension. Member Executive Council 1843-1856. Chairman National Schools Board 1848-1858. Original member of the Senate, University of Sydney, 1850-1869; vice chancellor 1865-1867. Prominent in drafting and administration of 1836 Church Act; prosecuted Europeans with determination after Myall Creek massacre 1838; on select committee which drafted a new constitution of 1853. At odds with Roman Catholic authorities over National education system until 1860s, but leading Roman Catholic layman. A founder and treasurer of St Vincent's Hospital; founding fellow St John's College, University of Sydney, 1858; lay secretary of second Provincial Synod, Melbourne, 1869. In later years lived in Melbourne, commuting to Sydney. Author of The Australian Magistrate; a Guide to the Duties of a Justice of the Peace, 1835; The Magistrate's Pocket Book, 1859; On the Evidence of Accomplices, 1863.

Additional information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2
John N. Moloney, An Architect of Freedom: John Hubert PLunkett in New South
Wales 1832 - 1869, 1973
Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South
Wales', Sydney, 1995
John Hubert Plunkett was born in June 1802 in County Roscommon, Ireland. He
married Maria McDonougha in 1831. They had no children. Champion of the
Catholic emancipation movement, Plunkett was called to the Irish Bar in 1826,
where he established a successful career as a barrister. Although appointed
SolicitorGeneral of New South Wales in 1831 he did not take up the appointment
until his arrival in the colony the following year. This marked the first
appointment of a Catholic to a high civil office within the colony. By 1833
Plunkett was forced to relieve the deaf Attorney General, John Kinchela, of all
court work and in 1836 he was officially appointed to succeed Kinchela.
Plunkett led the way in colonial legal reform emphasising the importance of
religions and civil equality. His zealous pursuit of equality led the British
authorities to confer with Plunkett over the 1842 Act for better government of
the colonies.
Plunkett was an appointed Member of the old Legislative Council from 1836 until
1841. During that time he was instrumental in creating a draft for the Church
Act of 1836 which established equality amongst Anglicans, Catholics,
Presbyterians and later Methodists. He also played an influential role in
drafting the Market Commissioners' Act of 1837 which later saw the creation of
the first representative body in New South Wales. Plunkett was appointed a
nominee member of the reconstituted Legislative Council from 1843 until
responsible. government was granted in 1856. Although at that time he
successfully contested two Legislative Assembly seats, he resigned as the
Member for Bathurst (County) choosing instead to represent Argyle. He held that
seat until 1857 when he entered the new upper house. From 1857 until 1858
Plunkett was President of the Legislative Council before returning to the
Assembly as the Member for Cumberland in 1858 and Western Sydney in 1859.
Although he held the view that the Presidency should be a ministerial office,
it failed to become a political appointment and remained an office of the
legislature. Plunkett died in Melbourne on 9 May 1869.

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