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Former Member Details

Mr Varney PARKES (1859 - 1935)

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Date of Birth: 04/06/1859
Place of Birth: Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 14/05/1935
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Parliamentary Accommodation Committee No.14 08 Nov 1912 05 Dec 1912 28 days
Administration of the Rocks Resumed Area Committee No.7 20 Aug 1912 05 Dec 1912 3 months 16 days
Australian Gaslight Company’s Bill Committee No.23 21 Mar 1912 28 Mar 1912 8 days
Administration of the Rocks resumed Area Committee No.20 14 Nov 1911 28 Mar 1912 4 months 15 days
System of Discrimination in Freight Charges on the Railways Committee No.21 14 Nov 1911 28 Mar 1912 4 months 15 days
Daylight Saving Principle Committee No.15 12 Oct 1911 28 Mar 1912 5 months 17 days
Claims of Harry K.Carpenter Committee No.14 10 Oct 1911 22 Nov 1911 1 month 13 days
Claims of Harry K.Carpenter Committee No.16 18 Jul 1911 01 Aug 1911 15 days
Daylight Saving Principle Committee No.11 28 Jun 1911 01 Aug 1911 1 month 5 days
Claims of Madame Bell against the Education Department Commitment No.10 27 Jun 1911 01 Aug 1911 1 month 6 days
Warwick Farm Railway Act Extension Bill Committee No.7 31 May 1911 14 Jun 1911 15 days
Canterbury Park Racecourse Company Limited Enabling Bill Committee No.7 24 Nov 1910 08 Dec 1910 15 days Chairman
Member for Canterbury 14 Oct 1910 06 Nov 1913 3 years 24 days
Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 07 Jul 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 14 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 14 Jun 1910 14 Jun 1910 1 day
Claim by Mr J.S Gam – Rejection of sleepers by Central South African Government Committee No.9 30 Sep 1909 09 Dec 1909 2 months 10 days
Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 10 Aug 1909 09 Dec 1909 4 months
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 29 Jun 1909 29 Sep 1909 3 months 1 day Chairman
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 21 Jul 1908 21 Jul 1908 1 day
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 09 Oct 1907 09 Oct 1907 1 day
Member for Canterbury 10 Sep 1907 14 Sep 1910 3 years 5 days
Municipal District of Broken Hill Electric Lighting Bill Committee No.9 10 Aug 1899 16 Aug 1899 7 days
Member for Canterbury 06 Sep 1898 04 Jun 1900 1 year 8 months 30 days
Postmaster-General 27 Aug 1898 13 Sep 1899 1 year 18 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No. 2 17 Aug 1898 30 Aug 1898 14 days
Member for Canterbury 27 Jul 1898 30 Aug 1898 1 month 4 days
City and North Sydney Tunnel Roadway Bill Committee No.14 01 Jul 1896 14 Jul 1896 14 days Chairman
Refreshment Committee No.4 14 May 1896 16 Nov 1896 6 months 3 days
Wellington Show Ground Hill Committee No.15 12 Dec 1895 19 Dec 1895 8 days Chairman
Illawarra Harbour and Land Corporation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.12 09 Oct 1895 22 Oct 1895 14 days
Refreshment. Committee No. 4 20 Aug 1895 08 Jul 1898 2 years 10 months 19 days
Member for Canterbury 24 Jul 1895 08 Jul 1898 2 years 11 months 15 days
Member for Canterbury 11 Jun 1895 05 Jul 1895 25 days
Refreshment Committee No. 4 29 Aug 1894 05 Jul 1895 10 months 7 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 28 Aug 1894 28 Aug 1894 1 day
Elections and Qualifications No. 5 07 Aug 1894 05 Jul 1895 10 months 29 days
Member for Canterbury 17 Jul 1894 03 Jun 1895 10 months 18 days
Member for East Sydney 17 Jun 1891 25 Jun 1894 3 years 9 days
Sydney and Suburban Electric Lighting Bill Committee No.41 08 Feb 1888 16 May 1888 3 months 9 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 15 Mar 1887 13 Jul 1887 3 months 29 days
Member for Central Cumberland 12 Feb 1887 01 Mar 1888 1 year 19 days
Mr Henry Arthur Hough Committee No.47 11 Jun 1886 08 Jul 1886 28 days
Member for Central Cumberland 29 Oct 1885 26 Jan 1887 1 year 2 months 29 days
Member for Central Cumberland 24 Sep 1885 07 Oct 1885 14 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 24 Sep 1885 06 Nov 1913 28 years 1 month 14 days
Political Party Activity
Freetrade and Liberal Party.
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Architect. Educated in public schools and The King's School at Parramatta. Worked in Bank of New South Wales and in Colonial Architect's Office. Continued as an architect living at Liverpool and later at Canterbury. Became bankrupt in 1895 and was discharged in 1907. On leaving politics built up a notable fossil collection, some of which were sold to the Australian Museum. Commissioner of the Adelaide Jubilee Exhibition in 1887.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son (7th child) of Henry Parkes and his first wife, Clarinda Varney. Married (1) Mary Cameron Murray on 21 March 1883; she died five months later. Married (2) Isabella Cameron Murray (the elder sister of Mary Murray) on 24 December 1884, and they had 1 daughter and 2 sons (and 2 children who died when infants). Church of England. Funeral at Church of England cemetery in Faulconbridge.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), Volume 11. Louise Raine, 'Varney Parkes, Architect, 1859 - 1935', Bachelor of Architecture Thesis, University of New South Wales, 1977. Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: (A1052)(MLDOC 255) (*D180).

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.