Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
MENU
Skip Navigation LinksHome Members Former Members

Former Member Details

Mr John HARRIS (1838 - 1911)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 10/08/1838
Place of Birth: Maghera, County Londonderry, Ireland
Date of Death: 07/11/1911
Place of Death: Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Goulburn Hospital Site Sale Bill Committee No.55 30 Jul 1884 09 Oct 1884 2 months 10 days
Whaling Road, North Shore Committee No.46 06 May 1884 01 Nov 1894 10 years 5 months 27 days
Australian Gas Light Company’s Bill Committee No.8 31 Jan 1883 01 Mar 1883 1 month 1 day
Member for South Sydney 02 Dec 1882 07 Oct 1885 2 years 10 months 6 days
Primitive Methodist Church Temporalities Bill Committee No.17 01 Nov 1878 14 Nov 1878 14 days
Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary Bill Committee No.12 18 Oct 1878 29 Oct 1878 12 days
Josiah Pitty’s Conditional Purchase at Deniliquin Committee No.9 01 Oct 1878 24 Jul 1879 9 months 24 days
Inverell Free Church of Eastern Australia Land Sale Bill Committee No.20 20 Mar 1878 28 Mar 1878 9 days
Josiah Pitty’s Conditional Purchase Committee No.17 12 Mar 1878 21 May 1878 2 months 10 days
Sydney Tramway and Omnibus Company (Limited) Bill Committee No.3 23 Jan 1878 20 Mar 1878 1 month 26 days
Member for West Sydney 25 Oct 1877 09 Nov 1880 3 years 16 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 25 Oct 1877 07 Oct 1885 7 years 11 months 13 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace (JP) in 1875. Honorary Treasurer of Benevolent Asylum. Director of Randwick Orphan Asylum and Sydney Hospital. Benefactor of University of Sydney.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Real Estate Manager. Arrived in Sydney with family in 1842 after his father inherited part of the estates of Dr John Harris. Educated at Dr Fullertons School, Normal Institution and University of Sydney. Left the University of Sydney without degree. Managed real estate inherited from father. Promoter of Urban redevelopment and economy in local government.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman of the Sydney City Council for Denison Ward, 1 December 1873 - 30 November 1883; for Phillip Ward 1885 - 6 December 1900; and for Denison Ward, 1 December 1902 - 7 November 1911. Member of the Electric Lighting Committee 1897 - 1898 and 1903 - 1908; the Disposal of Refuse Committee 1897 - 1898; the Works Committee 1899, 1902, 1905 and 1908 - 1911; the Garbage Disposal Committee 1901; the Finance Committee 1903 and 1905 - 1909; the Parliamentary and By-Laws Committee 1903; the Health and By-Laws Committee 1905 - 1910; and the Street Signs Special Committee 1906. Mayor 1881 - 1883 and 1888 - 1889.
Personal
Son of John Harris and his wife Nancy Ann McKee. Married Lizzie Henrietta Dingle Page in 1869 and had issue, 3 daughters and 5 sons. Presbyterian. His brother, Matthew Harris, was also a member of the Legislative Assembly.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), Volume 4. Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Sir Matthew Harris - papers, 1896 - 1923 (MLMSS 1237).

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.