Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

Former Member Details

Mr John BOOTH (1822 - 1898)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 27/02/1822
Place of Birth: Bermondsey, London, England
Date of Death: 11/04/1898
Place of Death: Bundanoon, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Report of Examiner of Coal Fields on Land held by Messrs Garrett and Greville Committee No.26 04 Aug 1876 17 Aug 1876 14 days
Bathurst Hospital Bill Committee No.19 15 Mar 1876 18 Mar 1876 4 days
Goulburn Cattle Sale Yards Bill Committee No.11 27 Apr 1875 06 May 1875 10 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 28 Jan 1875 28 Jan 1875 1 day
Member for East Macquarie 05 Jan 1875 12 Oct 1877 2 years 9 months 8 days
Anvil Creek Coal Mining Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.28 11 Mar 1874 17 Mar 1874 7 days
Sydney United Omnibus Company’s Tramways Bill Committee No.17 19 Nov 1873 25 Jun 1874 7 months 7 days
Payment of Duty on Tobacco Committee No.15 04 Nov 1873 12 Dec 1873 1 month 9 days
Petition of James Twaddell Committee No.28 04 Mar 1873 17 Mar 1873 14 days
Member for West Sydney 15 Feb 1872 28 Nov 1874 2 years 9 months 14 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 15 Feb 1872 12 Oct 1877 5 years 7 months 28 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Active in the School of Arts and the Working Men's Institute
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Shipbuilder; timber merchant. Learnt the shipbuilding trade at Kincumber on Brisbane Water, under Jonathon Piper and turned master builder in 1846. Moved to Balmain around 1854, following the shipbuilding trade. Opened sawmills at Balmain and on the Manning River; by 1870 both the Balmain mill and Sussex Street yards had 60 employees. That year temporarily retired and went to England, leasing his business to Taylor, Kethel and Preddy. In 1874 the mills were destroyed by fire and were only partially insured. These were rebuilt and by 1885, John Booth and Co. Ltd had doubled its number of employees. Owned houses in Balmain, a property at Cooma and 500 acres at Bundanoon. In May 1874 he was examined by the select committtee on wharf accommodation for the Port of Sydney.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
First Mayor of Balmain 1867. Was active in local government and other civic affairs.
Personal
Son of Henry Booth, corn-factor (mother's name unknown). Married Susannah Wetherall in 1850 and had issue, 4 sons and 7 daughters. His eldest child, Emily Ann Booth, married Norman Selfe (1839 - 1911), the famous engineer and educationist, in 1872. Went to sea in 1833 and arrived in Sydney 1839 in the barque Rajah.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3