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Member Details

Sir James (1) MARTIN (1820 - 1886)

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Date of Birth: 14/05/1820
Place of Birth: Midleton, Cork, Ireland
Date of Death: 04/11/1886
Place of Death: Potts Point, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Payment of Duty on Tobacco Committee No.15 04 Nov 1873 12 Dec 1873 1 month 9 days
Library Committee No.2 10 Sep 1873 25 Jun 1874 9 months 16 days
Refreshment Room No.4 10 Sep 1873 25 Jun 1874 9 months 16 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 10 Sep 1873 25 Jun 1874 9 months 16 days
Library Committee No.3 06 Nov 1872 25 Apr 1873 5 months 20 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.5 06 Nov 1872 05 Mar 1873 4 months
Standing Orders Committee No.4 06 Nov 1872 28 Mar 1873 4 months 23 days
Library Committee No.3 12 Jun 1872 13 Aug 1872 2 months 2 days
Refreshment Room No.5 12 Jun 1872 13 Aug 1872 2 months 2 days
Standing Orders Committee No.4 12 Jun 1872 13 Aug 1872 2 months 2 days
Opening Speech of the Administrator of the Government Committee No.1 01 May 1872 01 May 1872 1 day Chairman
Member for East Macquarie 22 Feb 1872 11 Nov 1873 1 year 8 months 21 days
Library Committee No.2 15 Nov 1871 01 Feb 1872 2 months 18 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 15 Nov 1871 01 Feb 1872 2 months 18 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 15 Nov 1871 01 Feb 1872 2 months 18 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 14 Nov 1871 14 Nov 1871 1 day
Member for East Sydney 27 Dec 1870 03 Feb 1872 1 year 1 month 8 days
Attorney General 16 Dec 1870 13 May 1872 1 year 4 months 28 days
Premier 16 Dec 1870 13 May 1872 1 year 4 months 28 days
Library Committee No.2 12 Aug 1870 22 Jun 1871 10 months 11 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 12 Aug 1870 22 Jun 1871 10 months 11 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 12 Aug 1870 22 Mar 1871 7 months 11 days
The Bank of New South Wales Bill of 1870 Committee No.15 02 Mar 1870 15 Mar 1870 14 days Chairman
Library Committee No.2 02 Feb 1870 07 May 1870 3 months 6 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 02 Feb 1870 07 May 1870 3 months 6 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 02 Feb 1870 22 Feb 1870 21 days
Member for East Sydney 03 Dec 1869 20 Dec 1870 1 year 18 days
Library Committee No.2 29 Sep 1869 13 Sep 1869 0 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 29 Sep 1869 13 Nov 1869 1 month 16 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 29 Sep 1869 13 Nov 1869 1 month 16 days
Alleged Conspiracy for purposes of Treason and Assassination Committee No.3 15 Dec 1868 03 Feb 1869 1 month 20 days
Library Committee No.3 15 Dec 1868 03 Feb 1869 1 month 20 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.6 15 Dec 1868 24 Mar 1869 3 months 10 days
Standing Orders Committee No.5 15 Dec 1868 24 Mar 1869 3 months 10 days
Address to Her Majesty in reference to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh Committee No.26 20 Apr 1868 20 Apr 1868 1 day Chairman
Address to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh on his visit to the Colony Committee No.21 16 Jan 1868 16 Jan 1868 1 day Chairman
Library Committee No.2 03 Jul 1867 27 Apr 1868 9 months 25 days
Library Committee No.2 03 Jul 1867 21 Aug 1867 1 month 19 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 03 Jul 1867 27 Apr 1868 9 months 25 days
Library Committee No.2 25 Jul 1866 18 Mar 1867 7 months 22 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 25 Jul 1866 18 Mar 1867 7 months 22 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 25 Jul 1866 18 Mar 1867 7 months 22 days
Member for Lachlan 08 Feb 1866 15 Nov 1869 3 years 9 months 8 days
Attorney General 22 Jan 1866 26 Oct 1868 2 years 9 months 5 days
Premier 22 Jan 1866 26 Oct 1868 2 years 9 months 5 days
Present State of the Colony Committee No.7 07 Nov 1865 28 Mar 1865 0 days
Harbour Defences Committee No.13 02 May 1865 08 Jun 1865 1 month 7 days
Fisheries Bill Committee No.9 24 Mar 1865 03 May 1865 1 month 10 days
St Patrick’s Church Land Trust Bill Committee No.3 08 Mar 1865 14 Mar 1865 7 days
Member for Lachlan 28 Dec 1864 22 Jan 1866 1 year 26 days
Member for Monaro 24 Dec 1864 07 Mar 1865 2 months 12 days
Bank of New South Wales Incorporation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.32 05 Dec 1864 12 Feb 1864 0 days Chairman
Member for Tumut 16 Nov 1863 10 Nov 1864 11 months 26 days
Attorney General 16 Oct 1863 02 Feb 1865 1 year 3 months 18 days
Premier 16 Oct 1863 02 Feb 1865 1 year 3 months 18 days
Disorganized State of the Public Works Department Committee No.28 06 Oct 1863 07 Apr 1864 6 months 2 days
Reservations upon Runs in Tumut District Committee No.25 29 Sep 1863 11 Mar 1864 5 months 12 days
Present State and Management of Lunatic Asylums No.9 14 Jul 1863 20 Apr 1864 9 months 7 days
Harbour Defences Committee No.6 01 Jul 1863 20 Oct 1863 3 months 20 days
Payments made out of Public Funds without Authority of Parliament Committee No.4 26 Jun 1863 18 Aug 1863 1 month 24 days
Payments made out of Public Funds without Authority of Parliament Committee No.4 26 Jun 1863 18 Aug 1863 1 month 24 days Chairman
Member for Orange 28 Jun 1862 16 Oct 1863 1 year 3 months 19 days
Public Prisons in Sydney and Cumberland Committee No.14 23 Oct 1860 09 Nov 1860 18 days
Library Committee No.3 27 Sep 1860 09 Nov 1860 1 month 14 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 27 Sep 1860 09 Nov 1860 1 month 14 days
Library Committee No.3 01 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 10 months 4 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 01 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 10 months 4 days
Member for East Sydney 09 Jun 1859 10 Nov 1860 1 year 5 months 2 days
Proposed Vote of Censure on the Attorney General Committee No.11 25 Mar 1859 09 Apr 1859 16 days Chairman
Library Committee No.3 10 Dec 1858 09 Apr 1859 4 months
Standing Orders Committee No.2 10 Dec 1858 09 Apr 1859 4 months
Landed Property in cases of Intestacy Descent Bill Committee No.25 02 Jul 1858 26 Nov 1858 4 months 25 days
Moreton Bay Judge’s Appointment Bill Committee No.6 31 Mar 1858 26 Nov 1858 7 months 27 days
Library Committee No.3 25 Mar 1858 26 Nov 1858 8 months 2 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 25 Mar 1858 26 Nov 1858 8 months 2 days
Member for Cook and Westmoreland 20 Jan 1858 11 Apr 1859 1 year 2 months 23 days
Member for Cook and Westmoreland 19 Sep 1857 19 Dec 1857 3 months 1 day
Attorney General 07 Sep 1857 08 Nov 1858 1 year 2 months 2 days
Secondary Punishment Committee No.8 27 Aug 1857 18 Dec 1857 3 months 22 days
St John’s College Bill Committee No.6 26 Aug 1857 18 Dec 1857 3 months 23 days
Library Committee 12 Aug 1857 18 Dec 1857 4 months 7 days
Standing Order Committee 12 Aug 1857 18 Dec 1857 4 months 7 days
Sole Commissioner of Railways Incorporation Bill Committee No.22 19 Nov 1856 18 Mar 1857 4 months
Richmond Bridge Company’s Bill Committee No.18 08 Nov 1856 18 Mar 1857 4 months 11 days
Member for Cook and Westmoreland 05 Sep 1856 05 Sep 1856 1 day
Attorney General 26 Aug 1856 02 Oct 1856 1 month 7 days
Additional Ministerial Department Committee No.12 20 Aug 1856 18 Mar 1857 6 months 27 days
Petition of Peter Rawlings Committee No.5 04 Jun 1856 18 Mar 1857 9 months 15 days
Library Committee No.4 03 Jun 1856 18 Mar 1857 9 months 16 days
Standing Order Committee No.3 03 Jun 1856 18 Mar 1857 9 months 16 days
Member for Cook and Westmoreland 04 Apr 1856 26 Aug 1856 4 months 23 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 04 Apr 1856 11 Nov 1873 17 years 7 months 8 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 01 Sep 1851 29 Feb 1856 4 years 6 months An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the Counties of Cook and Westmoreland.
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 01 Jul 1849 30 Jun 1851 2 years An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the Counties of Cook and Westmoreland.
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 01 Jul 1848 30 Jun 1849 1 year An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the Counties of Cook and Westmoreland. Election declared void.
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (solicitor). Chief Justice of New South Wales from 1873 - 1886. Arrived in Sydney with parents 1821, father working as groom at Parramatta. Educated at Dame's School, Parramatta, by D. Thurston, Rev. W. Walker and others; family made sacrifices to send him to W.T. Cape's school 1833-1836; brilliant student. Journalist on the Australian, edited by G.R. Nichols; acting editor 1839; articled as solicitor to Nichols at 20; admitted as a solicitor 10 May 1845; established successful police court practice. Wrote for the Atlas 1844; managed and edited it for two years from May 1845. Admitted to Bar 11 Sept. 1856; very successful practice; examiner, law faculty, University of Sydney; Chief Justice, Supreme Court of New South Wales, 1873-1886. Became secretary of Sydney College Committee 1848, then secretary of Sydney Choral Society 1854; appointed to National Board of Education 1855; on committee Sydney Club 1858-1859; on committee Victoria Club 1861; elected fellow University of Sydney 1861; on committee Hyde Park Improvement Society. 1864-1865; vice-president Civil Service Club 1871; appointed to Committee of Defence from Foreign Aggression 1872. Author of The Australian Sketch Book, 1838.
Military Service
Honours Received
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1869. Commissioned as a Queens Counsel (QC) in 1857
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Eldest son of John Martin, castle steward, and his wife Mary Hennessey. Married Isabella Long on 20 January 1853 and they had issue, 8 sons and 7 daughters. Church of England.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 5. Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: 1. Martin family - papers, 1830 - 1948 (MLMSS 2425); photographs in the PICMAN Database. 2. James Martin - papers, 1825 - 1894 (MLMSS 240); photographs in the PICMAN Database. 3. Sir James Martin - The Australian Sketchbook, 1838. (MLMSS 6547 [CY 3925]); photographs in the PICMAN Database. 4. Sir James Martin - speeches and articles, 1844, 1851 (DLMS 138). 5. Sir James Martin - papers, ca. 1873 - 1880 (DLMSQ 650). David Clune and Ken Turner (Editors), The Premiers of New South Wales: Volume 1 - 1856 - 1901, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006 [Chapter 6: "Martin, James", by JM Bennett, p. 103]. J. M. Bennett, Sir James Martin Premier and Chief Justice of New South Wales, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2005.

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.