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Member Details

Sir John SEE, KCMG (1845 - 1907)

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Date of Birth: 14/11/1845
Place of Birth: Yelling, Huntingdon, England
Date of Death: 31/01/1907
Place of Death: Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 24 Aug 1904 31 Jan 1907 2 years 5 months 8 days Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 20 June 1904
Brodie’s Enabling Act Amendment Bill Committee No.12 02 Sep 1903 16 Sep 1903 15 days
Prevalence of the Gambling Evil Committee No.10 20 Aug 1903 01 Dec 1903 3 months 12 days
Library Committee No.5 01 Jul 1903 01 Dec 1903 5 months 1 day
Printing Committee No.7 01 Jul 1903 01 Dec 1903 5 months 1 day
Refreshment Committee No.6 01 Jul 1903 01 Dec 1903 5 months 1 day
Standing Orders Committee No.4 01 Jul 1903 01 Dec 1903 5 months 1 day
Condition of the Blind Workers of the State Committee No.16 09 Sep 1902 20 Dec 1902 3 months 12 days
Claim of Robert Roberts, late bookbinder in the Registrar General’s Office Committee No.12 19 Aug 1902 14 Nov 1902 2 months 27 days
System of Municipal Government for Greater Sydney Committee No.9 20 Jun 1902 20 Dec 1902 6 months 1 day
Library Committee No.3 17 Jun 1902 20 Dec 1902 6 months 4 days
Printing Committee No.6 17 Jun 1902 19 Dec 1902 6 months 3 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 17 Jun 1902 20 Dec 1902 6 months 4 days
Inverell Gas, Coke, Coal, and Electric Lighting Company (Limited) Bill Committee No.15 17 Dec 1901 18 Dec 1901 2 days
Claims of Robert Roberts, late bookbinder in the Registrar-General’s Office Committee No.14 20 Nov 1901 19 Dec 1901 1 month
Library Committee No.4 08 Aug 1901 20 Dec 1901 4 months 13 days
Printing Committee No.7 08 Aug 1901 19 Dec 1901 4 months 12 days
Refreshment Committee No.6 08 Aug 1901 20 Dec 1901 4 months 13 days
Standing Orders Committee No.5 08 Aug 1901 20 Dec 1901 4 months 13 days
Removal from the Public Service of Mr Frederick Glynn Committee No.3 06 Aug 1901 19 Dec 1901 4 months 14 days
Member for Grafton 03 Jul 1901 15 Jun 1904 2 years 11 months 13 days
Colonial Secretary 28 Mar 1901 14 Jun 1904 3 years 2 months 18 days
Premier 28 Mar 1901 14 Jun 1904 3 years 2 months 18 days
Case of Quartermaster Sergeant Troy Committee No.21 06 Sep 1900 29 Sep 1900 24 days
Administration of the Military Department Committee No.14 26 Jul 1900 01 Nov 1900 3 months 7 days
Municipal District of Inverell Reduced Area Bill Committee No.13 24 Jul 1900 18 Oct 1900 2 months 25 days
Claim of Mr. J. L. Davidson, Paddington Committee No. 12 03 Jul 1900 13 Sep 1900 2 months 11 days
Standing Orders Committee No.4 20 Jun 1900 24 Jul 1900 1 month 5 days
Lismore Municipal Boundaries Bill Committee No.12 19 Oct 1899 24 Oct 1899 6 days
Member for Grafton 22 Sep 1899 11 Jun 1901 1 year 8 months 21 days
Colonial Secretary 14 Sep 1899 27 Mar 1901 1 year 6 months 14 days
Claim of Mr Sherlock Barron, North Botany Committee No.10 15 Aug 1899 23 Nov 1899 3 months 9 days
Standing Orders Committee No.4 08 Aug 1899 23 Dec 1899 4 months 16 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 13 Apr 1899 21 Apr 1899 9 days
Standing Orders Committee No.1 21 Feb 1899 30 Mar 1899 1 month 10 days
Standing Orders Committee No. 3 25 Aug 1898 23 Dec 1898 3 months 29 days
Member for Grafton 27 Jul 1898 14 Sep 1899 1 year 1 month 19 days
Standing Orders Committee No. 2 28 Jun 1898 08 Jul 1898 11 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 28 Apr 1897 10 Dec 1897 7 months 13 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 28 Apr 1897 18 Aug 1897 3 months 22 days
North Shore Bridge Bill Committee No.13 01 Jul 1896 28 Jul 1896 28 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 14 May 1896 16 Nov 1896 6 months 3 days
Standing Orders. Committee No. 2 20 Aug 1895 08 Jul 1898 2 years 10 months 19 days
Member for Grafton 20 Jul 1895 08 Jul 1898 2 years 11 months 19 days
Address of Condolence to Lady Duff. Committee No. 16 19 Mar 1895 05 Jul 1895 3 months 17 days
Member for Grafton 17 Jul 1894 05 Jul 1895 11 months 19 days
Operation of the Shipping Laws Committee No.6 23 Jan 1894 05 Jun 1894 4 months 14 days
Silkstone Coal-mine Railway Act Amending Bill Committee No.10 15 Nov 1893 21 Nov 1893 7 days
Post Office Savings Bank-National Bank Committee No.15 29 Nov 1892 16 May 1893 5 months 18 days
Member for Grafton 07 Nov 1891 25 Jun 1894 2 years 7 months 19 days
Colonial Treasurer 23 Oct 1891 02 Aug 1894 2 years 9 months 11 days
Member for Grafton 22 Jun 1891 26 Oct 1891 4 months 5 days
Agricultural Society of New South Wales Lease Bill Committee No.9 05 Dec 1889 10 Dec 1889 6 days
Member for Grafton 04 Feb 1889 06 Jun 1891 2 years 4 months 3 days
West Maitland Cattle Sale-yards Bill Committee No.60 12 Jun 1888 14 Jun 1888 3 days
Petition of George Matcham Pitt, junior Committee No.33 16 Dec 1887 26 Apr 1888 4 months 11 days
Grafton School of Arts Trustees Enabling Bill Committee No.31 25 Nov 1887 14 Dec 1887 20 days Chairman
Trustees of Presbyterian Cemetery at Maclean Committee No.21 13 Oct 1887 26 Oct 1887 14 days
Purchase by the Government of land adjoining the Australasian Steam Navigation Company’s Wharf Committee No.10 28 Sep 1887 29 Feb 1888 5 months 2 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 22 Sep 1887 11 Oct 1887 20 days
Member for Grafton 05 Feb 1887 19 Jan 1889 1 year 11 months 15 days
Illawarra Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.62 24 Aug 1886 27 Aug 1886 4 days
Privilege-Mr Barbour, MP Committee No.53 22 Jun 1886 22 Jul 1886 1 month 1 day
Alleged Abuses in Connection with the Shipping of New South Wales Committee No.51 18 Jun 1886 25 Oct 1886 4 months 8 days
Claim of Mr Thomas Horton Committee No.15 28 Jan 1886 10 Feb 1886 14 days
Member for Grafton 15 Oct 1885 26 Jan 1887 1 year 3 months 12 days
Postmaster General 07 Oct 1885 21 Dec 1885 2 months 15 days
Barker’s Estate Bill Committee No.19 29 Sep 1885 30 Sep 1885 2 days
St Mary’s Waverley Church of England Sale Bill Committee No.18 29 Sep 1885 30 Sep 1885 2 days
Christian Chapel Land Sale Bill Committee No.10 25 Sep 1885 02 Oct 1885 8 days
Randwick Cemetery Unused Land Sale Bill Committee No.8 25 Sep 1885 02 Oct 1885 8 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.7 24 Sep 1885 02 Oct 1885 9 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 09 Sep 1885 09 Sep 1885 1 day
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 19 Nov 1884 19 Nov 1884 1 day
Claim of Mr. Thomas Horton Committee No.39 26 Feb 1884 04 Jul 1884 4 months 9 days
Working of the Fisheries Act of 1881 Committee No.7 30 Jan 1883 21 Apr 1883 2 months 23 days
Member for Grafton 05 Dec 1882 07 Oct 1885 2 years 10 months 3 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 25 Aug 1882 28 Sep 1882 1 month 4 days
Grafton Presbyterian Church Land Sale Bill Committee No.24 28 Oct 1881 24 Nov 1881 28 days
Jeanneret’s Tramway Bill Committee No.17 18 Mar 1881 29 Mar 1881 12 days
Member for Grafton 26 Nov 1880 23 Nov 1882 1 year 11 months 29 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 26 Nov 1880 15 Jun 1904 23 years 6 months 21 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1878; Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1902
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Merchant; shipowner. Arrived in New South Wales with parents 1853; family settled on Hunter River. Educated in Hinton, Hunter River. Worked on family farm; with brothers took up land at Southgate on the Clarence River in 1861. Moved to Sydney in 1865; became produce merchant, firm becoming John See & Company 1884; partner in Nipper & See, coastal shipping line, which in 1891 amalgamated with two other lines to form North Coast Steam Navigation Company., of which See became managing director; director of Newcastle and Hunter River Steam Navigation Company., and of London and Lancashire Fire Insurance Company, North Old Insurance Company, Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation, W.H. Soul Pattinson & Co., Gloucester Estate Company. Also director of Citizens' Life Assurance Company., chairman 1896-1907. Held interest in Daily Telegraph Newspaper Company.; founder and director Australia Star Newspaper Company in 1887. Known as a shrewd investor; speculated successfully in land. Trustee of the Savings Bank of New South Wales. President of Royal Agricultural Society 1890-1907; Director of Sydney Hospital 1900-1903; trustee National Park, Captain Cook's Landing Place, Kurnell, and Sydney Cricket Ground. Commander International Exhibitions Amsterdam 1883; Calcutta 1884, London 1886, Melbourne 1888, Chicago 1893. Freemason.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman Randwick 1878 until 1890. Mayor 1880 until 1881, 1886
Personal
Third son of Joseph See, farmer, and his wife Mary Ann Bailey. Married Charlotte Mary Matthews in February 1875, and had issue 10 children; 3 sons and 4 daughters survived him.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11 G. G. O'Brien, "John See: Colonial Treasurer and some developments affecting the Treasury of New South Wales 1891 - 1894", MA Thesis, University of Sydney, 1973. Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Sir John See - papers, 1885 - 1905 (A3649 - A3677, *D2) [CY 3589 - CY] 3590; photographs in the PICMAN Database.

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.