Parliamentary activity
Information about members' parliamentary service including their positions held and biography.
Positions
| Position | Start | End | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Racing Association Bill Committee No.23 | Tue 18 September 1900 | Sat 01 December 1900 | 2 months 14 days | |
| Library Committee No.5 | Wed 20 June 1900 | Wed 28 November 1900 | 5 months 9 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.4 | Wed 20 June 1900 | Tue 24 July 1900 | 1 month 5 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.4 | Tue 08 August 1899 | Sat 23 December 1899 | 4 months 16 days | |
| Library Committee No.5 | Wed 02 August 1899 | Sat 23 December 1899 | 4 months 22 days | |
| Library Committee No.5 | Wed 02 August 1899 | Tue 10 October 1899 | 2 months 9 days | |
| Printing Committee No.7 | Wed 02 August 1899 | Tue 10 October 1899 | 2 months 9 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.6 | Wed 02 August 1899 | Tue 10 October 1899 | 2 months 9 days | |
| Attorney General | Wed 19 April 1899 | Wed 13 September 1899 | 4 months 26 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.4 | Thu 13 April 1899 | Fri 21 April 1899 | 9 days | |
| Printing Committee No.5 | Thu 13 April 1899 | Fri 21 April 1899 | 9 days | |
| Library Committee No.3 | Thu 13 April 1899 | Fri 21 April 1899 | 9 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.2 | Thu 13 April 1899 | Fri 21 April 1899 | 9 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.3 | Tue 21 February 1899 | Thu 30 March 1899 | 1 month 10 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.1 | Tue 21 February 1899 | Thu 30 March 1899 | 1 month 10 days | |
| Library Committee No.2 | Tue 21 February 1899 | Thu 30 March 1899 | 1 month 10 days | |
| Printing Committee No.4 | Tue 21 February 1899 | Thu 23 February 1899 | 3 days | |
| Library Committee No. 4 | Thu 25 August 1898 | Fri 23 December 1898 | 3 months 29 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No. 3 | Thu 25 August 1898 | Fri 23 December 1898 | 3 months 29 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No. 5 | Thu 25 August 1898 | Fri 23 December 1898 | 3 months 29 days | |
| Printing Committee No. 6 | Thu 25 August 1898 | Fri 23 December 1898 | 3 months 29 days | |
| Member for Sydney-King | 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 | |
| Printing Committee No. 5 | Tue 28 June 1898 | Fri 08 July 1898 | 11 days | |
| Library Committee No. 4 | Tue 28 June 1898 | Fri 08 July 1898 | 11 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No. 2 | 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 | |
| Library Committee No.3 | Wed 28 April 1897 | Fri 10 December 1897 | 7 months 13 days | |
| Printing Committee No.5 | Wed 28 April 1897 | Thu 09 December 1897 | 7 months 12 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.2 | Wed 28 April 1897 | Wed 18 August 1897 | 3 months 22 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.4 | Thu 14 May 1896 | Mon 16 November 1896 | 6 months 3 days | |
| Printing Committee No.5 | Thu 14 May 1896 | Mon 16 November 1896 | 6 months 3 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.2 | Thu 14 May 1896 | Mon 16 November 1896 | 6 months 3 days | |
| Refreshment. Committee No. 4 | Tue 20 August 1895 | Fri 08 July 1898 | 2 years 10 months 19 days | |
| Library. Committee No. 3 | Tue 20 August 1895 | Fri 08 July 1898 | 2 years 10 months 19 days | |
| Standing Orders. Committee No. 2 | Tue 20 August 1895 | Fri 08 July 1898 | 2 years 10 months 19 days | |
| Member for Sydney-King | Wed 24 July 1895 | Fri 08 July 1898 | 2 years 11 months 15 days | |
| Printing Committee No.5 | Tue 14 May 1895 | Thu 12 November 1896 | 1 year 5 months 30 days | |
| Address of Condolence to Lady Duff. Committee No. 16 | Tue 19 March 1895 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 3 months 17 days | |
| Appropriation Bill. Committee No. 15 | Fri 21 December 1894 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 6 months 15 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No. 2 | Wed 29 August 1894 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 10 months 8 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No. 4 | Wed 29 August 1894 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 10 months 8 days | |
| Library Committee No. 3 | Wed 29 August 1894 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 10 months 8 days | |
| Member for Sydney-King | Sat 11 August 1894 | Fri 05 July 1895 | 10 months 25 days | |
| Premier | Fri 03 August 1894 | Wed 13 September 1899 | 5 years 1 month 11 days | |
| Colonial Treasurer | Fri 03 August 1894 | Mon 03 July 1899 | 4 years 11 months 1 day | |
| Member for Sydney-King | Tue 17 July 1894 | Fri 03 August 1894 | 18 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.3 | Tue 23 January 1894 | Tue 05 June 1894 | 4 months 14 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.3 | Wed 27 September 1893 | Fri 08 December 1893 | 2 months 12 days | |
| Library Committee No.6 | Wed 05 October 1892 | Tue 18 October 1892 | 14 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.5 | Wed 05 October 1892 | Tue 18 October 1892 | 14 days | |
| Member for East Sydney | Wed 17 June 1891 | Mon 25 June 1894 | 3 years 9 days | |
| Library Committee No.3 | Tue 26 May 1891 | Tue 02 June 1891 | 8 days | |
| Library Committee No.4 | Wed 30 April 1890 | Sat 20 December 1890 | 7 months 21 days | |
| Library Committee No.4 | Wed 27 November 1889 | Sat 21 December 1889 | 25 days | |
| Library Committee No.5 | Wed 03 April 1889 | Thu 10 October 1889 | 6 months 8 days | |
| Member for East Sydney | Sat 02 February 1889 | Sat 06 June 1891 | 2 years 4 months 5 days | |
| Library Committee No.3 | Wed 24 October 1888 | Sun 27 January 1889 | 3 months 4 days | |
| North Shore, Manly and Pittwater Tramway and Railway Bill Committee No.18 | Wed 12 October 1887 | Tue 25 October 1887 | 14 days | |
| Library Committee No.3 | Wed 21 September 1887 | Tue 24 July 1888 | 10 months 4 days | |
| Library Committee No.4 | Tue 15 March 1887 | Wed 13 July 1887 | 3 months 29 days | |
| Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 | Fri 11 March 1887 | Tue 29 March 1887 | 19 days | |
| Member for East Sydney | Sat 05 February 1887 | Sat 19 January 1889 | 1 year 11 months 15 days | |
| Sydney Corporation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.38 | Fri 14 May 1886 | Fri 14 May 1886 | 1 day | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.3 | Thu 03 December 1885 | Mon 25 October 1886 | 10 months 23 days | |
| Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 | Fri 20 November 1885 | Tue 22 December 1885 | 1 month 3 days | |
| Member for East Sydney | Fri 16 October 1885 | Wed 26 January 1887 | 1 year 3 months 11 days | |
| Blandford Proprietary School Bill Committee No.9 | Tue 06 February 1883 | Tue 13 February 1883 | 8 days | |
| Member for East Sydney | Thu 11 January 1883 | Thu 21 February 1884 | 1 year 1 month 11 days | |
| Minister of Public Instruction | Fri 05 January 1883 | Thu 06 March 1884 | 1 year 2 months 2 days | |
| Member for East Sydney | Thu 30 November 1882 | Fri 05 January 1883 | 1 month 7 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.3 | Wed 30 August 1882 | Tue 21 November 1882 | 2 months 23 days | |
| Royal Society of New South Wales Incorporation Bill Committee No.19 | Fri 16 September 1881 | Tue 27 September 1881 | 12 days | Chairman |
| Royal Society of New South Wales Incorporation Bill Committee No.19 | Fri 16 September 1881 | Tue 27 September 1881 | 12 days | |
| Moffitt’s Estate Enabling Bill Committee No.18 | Tue 06 September 1881 | Wed 05 October 1881 | 1 month | |
| Presbyterian Church Property Management Bill Committee No.15 | Tue 30 August 1881 | Tue 27 September 1881 | 29 days | |
| Width of Streets and Lanes Bill Committee No.14 | Fri 26 August 1881 | Fri 21 October 1881 | 1 month 26 days | |
| Osborne’s Leasing Bill Committee No.10 | Fri 15 July 1881 | Fri 05 August 1881 | 22 days | Chairman |
| Standing Orders Committee No.4 | Wed 06 July 1881 | Fri 29 July 1881 | 24 days | |
| Bates’s Estate Bill Committee No.19 | Wed 23 March 1881 | Tue 29 March 1881 | 7 days | |
| Osborne’s Leasing Bill Committee No.18 | Tue 22 March 1881 | Wed 06 April 1881 | 16 days | |
| Australian Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.14 | Thu 10 March 1881 | Thu 17 March 1881 | 8 days | Chairman |
| Australian Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.14 | Thu 10 March 1881 | Thu 17 March 1881 | 8 days | |
| Assisted Immigration Committee No.8 | Tue 18 January 1881 | Tue 05 April 1881 | 2 months 19 days | |
| Kurrajong Land and Riley Street Surry Hills Land Sales Bill Committee No.6 | Thu 13 January 1881 | Fri 21 January 1881 | 9 days | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.3 | Fri 17 December 1880 | Wed 06 April 1881 | 3 months 21 days | |
| The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 | Thu 16 December 1880 | Thu 16 December 1880 | 1 day | |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly | Wed 17 November 1880 | Tue 11 June 1901 | 20 years 6 months 26 days | |
| Member for East Sydney | Wed 17 November 1880 | Thu 23 November 1882 | 2 years 7 days |
Biography
Political party activity
Freetrade Party 1901 - 1904; Leader 1901 - 1904
Honours Received
Honorary Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) Oxford University (UK) in 1897. Privy Councillor in 1897. Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1909. Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1911. Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1916.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Member of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. Member of the House of Representatives for East Sydney 1901 - 1909. Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for External Affairs 1904 - 1905. Leader of the Federal Freetrade Party and of the Opposition 1901 - 1904. Member of the British Parliament: House of Commons seat of St George's, Hanover Square, 1916 - 1918.
Personal information
Youngest son of the Reverend John Reid, Presbyterian Minister and his wife Marion Crybbace (d. 1885). Married Flora Ann Brumby on 5 November 1891 in Thornton Cressy, Tasmania. Presbyterian.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (Barrister). Arrived in Australia with parents in 1852. Educated at the Melbourne Academy (later Scotch College). Journeyed to New South Wales in 1858. Clerk in Sydney merchant's office to 1864; Colonial Treasury 1864-1878; Secretary to the Attorney-General 1878-1880; Called to Bar 1879; Queens Counsel in 1898. High Commissioner for Australia, London, 1910- 1916. Represented New South Wales at Federal Convention 1897. Attended Diamond Jubilee celebrations in England 1897. Author of Five Freetrade Essays 1875; New South Wales the Mother Colony of the Australians, 1878.
Additional information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11 George Houstoun Reid, 'My Reminiscences', 1917 W. G. McMinn, 'George Reid', 1989 National Archives of Australia, 'Australia's Prime Ministers' Website http://primeministers. naa. gov. au/ National Archives of Australia Fact Sheet 213: 'George Houstoun Reid Prime Minister of Australia 1904-05' http://www. naa. gov. au/fsheets/fs213. html A biography is on the National Library of Australia's Federation Gateway website: http://www. nla. gov. au/guides/federation/people/reid. html A biography is also on the 'Electric Scotland' Website: http://www. electricscotland. com/history/australia/reid_george. htm Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: 1. Sir George Houston Reid - papers, 1876 (MLMSS 4436) 2. Sir George Houston Reid - papers, 1873 - 1916, (Ar 57) 3. Sir George Houston Reid - papers, 1880, 1916. 4. Sir George Houston - 'New South Wales the mother colony of the Australias', 187. (MLMSS 219). David Clune and Ken Turner (Editors), The Premiers of New South Wales: Volume 1 - 1856 - 1901, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006 [Chapter 12: "Reid, George", by Michael Hogan, p. 191]