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Former Member Details

Mr James WATSON (1836 - 1907)

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Date of Birth: 17/12/1836
Place of Birth: Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland
Date of Death: 30/10/1907
Place of Death: Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Cootamundra Racecourse Bill. Committee No. 7 30 Oct 1894 05 Jul 1895 8 months 6 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 08 Mar 1887 30 Oct 1907 20 years 7 months 23 days Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 15 February 1887
Member for Gundagai 22 Apr 1884 07 Oct 1885 1 year 5 months 16 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
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
Standing Orders Committee No.3 17 Dec 1880 06 Apr 1881 3 months 21 days
Member for Young 22 Nov 1880 23 Nov 1882 2 years 2 days
Member for Lachlan 10 Jan 1879 09 Nov 1880 1 year 10 months
Colonial Treasurer 21 Dec 1878 04 Jan 1883 4 years 15 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.8 11 Sep 1878 27 Sep 1878 17 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 30 Nov 1877 31 Jan 1878 2 months 2 days
Member for Lachlan 26 Oct 1877 20 Dec 1878 1 year 1 month 25 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.10 14 Dec 1876 11 Oct 1877 9 months 28 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 12 Dec 1876 12 Dec 1876 1 day
Bathurst Hospital Bill Committee No.19 15 Mar 1876 18 Mar 1876 4 days
Member for Lachlan 04 Jan 1875 12 Oct 1877 2 years 9 months 9 days
Ultimo Presbyterian Church Trustees Bill Committee No.8 13 Nov 1874 26 Nov 1874 14 days
Wharf Accommodation, Sydney Harbour Committee No.30 29 Apr 1874 25 Jun 1874 1 month 28 days
Lithgow Valley Colliery Railway Bill Committee No.12 14 Oct 1873 15 Oct 1873 2 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 09 Sep 1873 09 Sep 1873 1 day
Wharf Accommodation, Sydney Harbour Committee No.7 13 Nov 1872 24 Apr 1873 5 months 12 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 05 Nov 1872 05 Nov 1872 1 day
Customs Seizure of Goods ex ‘Ascalon’ Committee No.15 16 Jul 1872 09 Aug 1872 25 days
St George’s Presbyterian Church Bill Committee No.12 27 Jun 1872 04 Jul 1872 8 days
Member for Lachlan 09 Mar 1872 28 Nov 1874 2 years 8 months 20 days
Yass Roman Catholic Church Land Bill Committee No.20 18 Apr 1871 22 Jun 1871 2 months 5 days
Charges Against the Collector of Customs Committee No.19 28 Feb 1871 22 Jun 1871 3 months 26 days Chairman
Camperdown Cemetery Trust Bill Committee No.17 21 Feb 1871 02 Mar 1871 10 days
Claims of Mr Spencer, of Gundagai Committee No.13 09 Dec 1870 22 Jun 1871 6 months 14 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 28 Dec 1869 07 Oct 1885 15 years 9 months 10 days
Member for Lachlan 23 Dec 1869 03 Feb 1872 2 years 1 month 12 days
Political Party Activity
Freetrade
Community Activity
Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1872
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Merchant. Educated at Church of England Parish School in Richhill, Ireland. Entered office of Thomas Carleton, solicitor, Portadown in 1853. Arrived in Melbourne on 1 June 1856. With youngest brother followed the rush to the Victorian goldfields with little success and moved to Lambing Flat in New South Wales in 1861. Opened a store there and added a flour mill in 1866. Purchased a quarter share in a company in 1869 and moved to Sydney leaving his brother in charge of the Sydney store. Chairman of City Bank of Sydney from 1874 until 1885; director and sometime chairman of Pacific Fire and Marine Insurance Company of Sydney; became director of Australian Joint Stock bank in 1897. Became a partner in two cattle stations near Young in 1877. Became a partner of two cattle stations in Queensland. Member of the committee of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce. Commissioner of International Exhibitions in 1875, 1876 and 1888. Trustee of the Australian Museum from 1878 until 1883; on council of Australian Academy of Art. Trustee of Sydney Bethel Union.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Second son of James Watson, farmer, and Sarah Maclean. Married Margaret Salmon Ewan on 8 April 1871 and had issue, 4 daughters and 2 sons. Church of England. His son, James Frederick Watson (1878 - 1945) was the historian and editor of "Historical Records of Australia" (33 volumes 1912 - 1925).
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.