Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

Sir Patrick Alfred Jennings

Sir Patrick Alfred JENNINGS, KCMG, LLD (1831 - 1897)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 20/03/1831
Place of Birth: Newry, County Down, Ireland
Date of Death: 11/07/1897
Place of Death: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 22 May 1890 11 Jul 1897 7 years 1 month 20 days Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 15 April 1890
Alleged Abuses in Connection with the Shipping of New South Wales Committee No.51 18 Jun 1886 25 Oct 1886 4 months 8 days
Sydney Corporation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.38 14 May 1886 14 May 1886 1 day
Member for Bogan 09 Mar 1886 26 Jan 1887 10 months 18 days Ministerial by-election (appointed Premier 26 February 1886). Declared elected on unopposed nomination.
Colonial Treasurer 26 Feb 1886 19 Jan 1887 10 months 25 days
Premier 26 Feb 1886 19 Jan 1887 10 months 25 days
Hay Gas Bill Committee No.16 04 Feb 1886 13 Apr 1886 2 months 10 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 03 Dec 1885 25 Oct 1886 10 months 23 days
Member for Bogan 26 Oct 1885 27 Feb 1886 4 months 2 days
Colonial Secretary 10 Oct 1885 21 Dec 1885 2 months 12 days
Hay Gas Bill Committee No.22 01 Oct 1885 02 Oct 1885 2 days
Standing Orders Committee No.5 24 Sep 1885 02 Oct 1885 9 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 17 Mar 1885 27 Mar 1885 11 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 19 Nov 1884 27 Nov 1884 9 days
Serisier’s Estate Bill Committee No.61 05 Sep 1884 01 Nov 1884 1 month 28 days
Dubbo Cattle Sale-yards Bill Committee No.8 14 Oct 1883 18 Oct 1883 5 days Chairman
Dubbo Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.5 11 Oct 1883 25 Oct 1883 15 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 10 Oct 1883 01 Nov 1884 1 year 23 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 18 Jan 1883 02 May 1883 3 months 15 days
Vice President of Executive Council 05 Jan 1883 31 Jul 1883 6 months 27 days
Member for Bogan 19 Dec 1882 07 Oct 1885 2 years 9 months 19 days
Dubbo Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.11 20 Oct 1882 14 Nov 1882 26 days
Refreshment Room No.4 30 Aug 1882 21 Nov 1882 2 months 23 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 30 Aug 1882 21 Nov 1882 2 months 23 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 25 Aug 1882 28 Sep 1882 1 month 4 days
Dubbo Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.28 07 Dec 1881 14 Dec 1881 8 days
Royal Society of New South Wales Incorporation Bill Committee No.19 16 Sep 1881 27 Sep 1881 12 days
Presbyterian Church Property Management Bill Committee No.15 30 Aug 1881 27 Sep 1881 29 days
Refreshment Room No.5 06 Jul 1881 20 Dec 1881 5 months 15 days
Standing Orders Committee No.4 06 Jul 1881 29 Jul 1881 24 days
Australian Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.14 10 Mar 1881 17 Mar 1881 8 days
Refreshment Room No.4 17 Dec 1880 06 Apr 1881 3 months 21 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 17 Dec 1880 06 Apr 1881 3 months 21 days
Member for Bogan 30 Nov 1880 23 Nov 1882 1 year 11 months 25 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 30 Nov 1880 26 Jan 1887 6 years 1 month 28 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 02 May 1872 10 Jul 1872 2 months 9 days
Member for Murray 07 Mar 1872 25 Jun 1872 3 months 19 days
Bathurst Gas Company’s Bill Committee No.7 29 Nov 1871 06 Dec 1871 8 days
The Civil Service Committee No.6 21 Nov 1871 01 Feb 1872 2 months 12 days
Petition of Hugh Maguire Committee No.6 18 Aug 1870 07 Oct 1870 1 month 20 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 11 Aug 1870 03 Nov 1870 2 months 24 days
Oyster Fisheries Committee No.17 15 Mar 1870 07 May 1870 1 month 23 days
Immigration Committee No.10 22 Feb 1870 13 Apr 1870 1 month 23 days
Member for Murray 29 Dec 1869 03 Feb 1872 2 years 1 month 6 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 29 Dec 1869 25 Jun 1872 2 years 5 months 28 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 31 Jul 1867 17 Dec 1869 2 years 4 months 17 days Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 28 March 1867
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1857.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Pastoralist. Educated at Newry and Exeter, England. Lacked money to study for the Bar; trained in business with firm in Exeter. To Victoria in 1852. Successful on goldfields; joined 1855 rush to New Bendigo (St Arnaud), where introduced quartz crushing machinery, opened store and engaged in pastoral pursuits and prospered. With Martin Shanahan acquired Warbreccan station near Deniliquin, New South Wales 1862; moved there 1863. The partners later acquired Garawilla, nearr Gunnedah, and Denobillie and Ulimambri, near Coonabarabran; also Westbrook, 80,000 acres on Darling Downs, 1874, which became his home after Warbreccan sold 1885. On Shanahan's death, 1882, his son became partner. Lost all properties except Westbrook during drought and financial crisis of early 1890s. In 1880s, director of Intercolonial Life Assurance Annuity and General Association, and of Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society; local director of London Chartered Bank of Australia. Commissioner for Exhibitions at Melbourne 1875, Philadelphia 1876; executive commissioner for Sydney International Exhibition 1879. Joined Riverine Association 1863 but did not support separation. Vice-president of Agriculture Society of New South Wales 1876-1887; fellow of the Senate, University of Sydney, 1883-1891; trustee National Art Gallery of New South Wales 1885-1897; president of Sydney Liedertafel, and enthusiastic patron and performer of music; member Union Club. First practising Roman Catholic Premier of New South Wales; generous contributor to church funds; fellow of St John's College, University of Sydney, 1868-1872, 1874-1891. Represented New South Wales at the Colonial Conference, London, 1887; delegate at Federal Convention 1896. Estate valued at £ 4,400.
Military Service
Honours Received
Knight of St Gregory the Great (Papal Order) in 1874. Knight Commander of the Order of Pius IX (Papal Order) in 1876. Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1879. Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George KCMG in 1880. Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX conferring title of Marquis 1885 (Papal Order).
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Francis Jennings, linen merchant, and his wife Mary O'Neill. Married c. 1863 to Mary Ann Shanahan, sister of his squatting partner (Martin Shanahan), and had issue, 1 son and 2 daughters. Roman Catholic.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4 David Clune and Ken Turner (Editors), The Premiers of New South Wales: Volume 1 - 1856 - 1901, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006 [Chapter 11: "Jennings, Sir Patrick Alfred", by TW Campbell, p. 181]