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Former Member Details

Mr James Ebenezer TONKIN (1835 - 1906)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 01/01/1835
Place of Birth: England
Date of Death: 08/05/1906
Place of Death: Glebe, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Conditional Purchase made by George Vincent, in the District of Gundagai. Committee No. 17 19 Apr 1895 05 Jul 1895 2 months 17 days
Amendment of the Mining Laws. Committee No. 12 27 Nov 1894 05 Jul 1895 7 months 9 days
Member for Macquarie 17 Jul 1894 05 Jul 1895 11 months 19 days
Scottish Australian Mining Company (Limited) Railway Bill Committee No.8 11 Oct 1892 23 Nov 1892 1 month 13 days
Vale of Clwydd Coal mining Company’s Bill Committee No.3 05 Oct 1892 18 Oct 1892 14 days
Member for East Macquarie 13 Aug 1892 25 Jun 1894 1 year 10 months 13 days
Deepwater and Mount Galena Tramway Bill Committee No.36 24 Mar 1892 28 Mar 1892 5 days
Australasian Mining Exchange of Sydney Bill Committee No.35 15 Feb 1892 23 Feb 1892 9 days
Case of Patrick Brown Committee No.31 21 Dec 1891 11 Feb 1892 1 month 22 days
Claims of William Tom, James Tom, and J.H.A Lister, as the first Discoverers of Gold in Australia Committee No.15 25 Aug 1891 02 Sep 1891 9 days
Member for East Macquarie 19 Jun 1891 21 Jul 1892 1 year 1 month 3 days
Conditional Purchase made by Maurice Bush, District Urana Committee No.46 16 Dec 1890 20 Dec 1890 5 days
Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition Committee No.36 07 Oct 1890 12 Dec 1890 2 months 6 days
Broken Hill Water Works Bill Committee No.33 16 Sep 1890 20 Dec 1890 3 months 5 days
Claims of William Tom, James Tom and JHA Lister as the first discoverers of gold in Australia Committee No.27 26 Aug 1890 18 Dec 1890 3 months 23 days
Claim of E.K Crace to Crown Land adjoining Gungahleen Estate Committee No.20 24 Jun 1890 14 Oct 1890 3 months 21 days
Illawarra Harbour and Land Corporation Bill Committee No.6 03 Dec 1889 17 Dec 1889 15 days
Case of Miss Brenning Committee No.20 03 Jul 1889 23 Jul 1889 21 days
Bathurst Cattle Sale Yards Bill Committee No.12 16 May 1889 29 May 1889 14 days
Illawarra Harbour and Land Corporation Bill Committee No.9 11 Apr 1889 05 Jun 1889 1 month 26 days
Broken Hill Water Supply Bill Committee No.8 10 Apr 1889 10 Jul 1889 3 months 1 day
Member for East Macquarie 16 Feb 1889 06 Jun 1891 2 years 3 months 22 days
Broken Hill Water Supply Bill Committee No.13 07 Dec 1888 11 Jan 1889 1 month 5 days
Petition of George Matcham Pitt, junior Committee No.33 16 Dec 1887 26 Apr 1888 4 months 11 days
The Case of Daniel Behan Committee No.20 13 Oct 1887 26 Oct 1887 14 days
Parliamentary Hansard Committee No.28 09 Jun 1887 12 Jul 1887 1 month 4 days
West Wallsend and Monk Wearmouth Act Amendment Bill Committee No.27 09 Jun 1887 16 Jun 1887 8 days
Claims of John Gallagher Committee No.21 17 May 1887 05 Jul 1887 1 month 19 days
Claim of Cornelius Grady Committee No.18 29 Apr 1887 05 Jul 1887 2 months 7 days
Member for East Macquarie 11 Feb 1887 19 Jan 1889 1 year 11 months 9 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 11 Feb 1887 05 Jul 1895 8 years 4 months 25 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Country entrepreneur. Arrived in Melbourne in 1854. Worked at Ballarat , Bendigo, Mount Alexander, Ararat and other goldfields. Engaged in commercial pursuits in Geelong from 1856 until 1859. Journeyed to New Zealand goldfields. Returned to Victoria in 1866; Went into business at Geelong for 2 years. Journeyed to New South Wales in 1868; Moved to the Bathurst district in 1870 and became a successful contractor. Purchased Tattersall's Hotel in Bathurst in 1877. Honorary Secretary of Bathurst Coursing Club and Bathurst Turf Club. Moved to Forrest Lodge in 1896.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman of Bathurst from c.1879
Personal
Son of James Tonkin, bedstead manufacturer and Jemima Stephens. Married Mary Ann Smith in c.1865 at Hokitika, New Zealand and had issue, 5 daughters and 7 sons. Church of England.
Additional Information