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Mr William Spain

Mr William SPAIN (1803 - 1876)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 14/03/1803
Place of Birth: Cowes, Isle of Wight, England
Date of Death: 05/04/1876
Place of Death: Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 31 Oct 1856 20 May 1858 1 year 6 months 20 days First (Quinquennial) Appointments under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 28 October 1856.
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 13 Oct 1851 01 May 1852 6 months 19 days A Non-Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 – 1856
Inspector-General of Police 01 Jan 1851 31 Dec 1851 1 year
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Solicitor. Educated for law; admitted to King's Bench as attorney in 1823. Took an active interest in politics. Was private secretary to Lord Palmerston for a time. Appointed by Lord John Russell as Commissioner to examine land claims of New Zealand settlers and Maoris in 1841; the investigation of major importance in New Zealand history, lasted 3 years and oveturned many European claims. Practised as a solicitor in Sydney from 1845 until 1851. Appointed Inspector General of Police in 1851. Resigned in December of that same year. returned to private practice in Sydney. In 1851 lived on the North Shore; built a family home at Waverley on retirement.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of George Spain, master mariner and shipowner. Married Mary Elizabeth White in May 1825 and had issue.
Additional Information

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.