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Former Member Details

Mr John DAVIES, C.M.G (1839 - 1896)

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Date of Birth: 02/03/1839
Place of Birth: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 23/05/1896
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 08 Feb 1888 23 May 1896 8 years 3 months 16 days Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 30 December 1887.
Electric Light in Parliamentary Buildings Committee No.63 27 Aug 1886 25 Oct 1886 1 month 29 days
Illawarra Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.62 24 Aug 1886 27 Aug 1886 4 days
Mudgee Gaslight and Coke Company’s Bill Committee No.57 23 Jul 1886 05 Aug 1886 14 days
Barker’s Estate Bill Committee No.11 11 Dec 1885 16 Dec 1885 6 days
Member for South Sydney 16 Oct 1885 26 Jan 1887 1 year 3 months 11 days
Mort’s Bay Improvement Bill Committee No.16 16 Nov 1882 21 Nov 1882 6 days
Cookbundoon Slate Quarry Tramway Bill Committee No.26 24 Nov 1881 02 Dec 1881 9 days
Denton’s Estate Leasing and Mortgaging Bill Committee No.20 23 Sep 1881 06 Oct 1881 14 days
Transfer of Land at North Shore to John William Haynes Committee No.20 24 Mar 1881 29 Mar 1881 6 days
Member for South Sydney 18 Nov 1880 23 Nov 1882 2 years 6 days
Petition of Mr E.W Rudder Committee No.26 22 Jun 1880 09 Jul 1880 18 days
Claim of John O’Brien Committee No.25 15 Jun 1880 13 Jul 1880 29 days
Claim of Richard Peard Committee No.16 10 Feb 1880 13 Jul 1880 5 months 4 days
Sites for New Hospitals Committee No.15 10 Feb 1880 13 Jul 1880 5 months 4 days
Sydney City and Suburban Tramway and Omnibus Company’s Bill Committee No.14 16 Dec 1879 26 Feb 1880 2 months 11 days
Mineral Selection at Mitchell’s Creek Committee No.11 02 Dec 1879 16 Apr 1880 4 months 15 days
Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children Committee No.9 19 Nov 1879 08 Jul 1880 7 months 20 days
St Leonards Roman Catholic School Land Sale Bill Committee No.8 13 Nov 1879 20 Nov 1880 1 year 8 days
Railway through the City of Sydney Committee No.5 30 Oct 1879 13 Jul 1880 8 months 14 days
Refreshment Room No.4 29 Oct 1879 13 Jul 1880 8 months 15 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 28 Oct 1879 28 Oct 1879 1 day
Mudgee Turf Club Bill Committee No.20 20 Nov 1878 26 Feb 1879 3 months 7 days
Claim of Constable Richard Peard Committee No.19 12 Nov 1878 24 Jul 1879 8 months 13 days
Petition of Mr E.W Rudder Committee No.18 12 Nov 1878 24 Jul 1879 8 months 13 days
Primitive Methodist Church Temporalities Bill Committee No.17 01 Nov 1878 14 Nov 1878 14 days
Pilot Steamer “Captain Cook” Committee No.15 22 Oct 1878 04 Jul 1879 8 months 13 days
Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary Bill Committee No.12 18 Oct 1878 29 Oct 1878 12 days Chairman
Claim of Messrs Kelleher and Fitzgerald Committee No.10 01 Oct 1878 24 Jul 1879 9 months 24 days
Sunday Sale of Liquors Prevention Bill Committee No.21 22 Mar 1878 16 May 1878 1 month 25 days
Mineral selection at Mitchell’s Creek Committee No.12 12 Feb 1878 08 May 1878 2 months 27 days
The Bible Society’s Bill Committee No.8 31 Jan 1878 07 Feb 1878 8 days
Member for East Sydney 24 Oct 1877 09 Nov 1880 3 years 17 days
Member for East Sydney 28 Aug 1877 12 Oct 1877 1 month 15 days
Postmaster General 17 Aug 1877 17 Dec 1877 4 months 1 day
Conveyance of Lunatics from Sydney to Cooma Committee No.21 22 Jun 1877 11 Oct 1877 3 months 20 days
Conveyance of Lunatics from Sydney to Cooma Committee No.21 22 Jun 1877 11 Oct 1877 3 months 20 days
Disputed Mining Lease, Hawkins Hill Committee No.20 19 Jun 1877 11 Oct 1877 3 months 23 days
Albert Dangar’s Leasing Act Amendment Bill Committee No.19 17 May 1877 01 Jun 1877 16 days
Sydney Common Improvement Act Amendment Bill Committee No.15 06 Feb 1877 22 Feb 1877 17 days
Macquarie Coal Company’s Railway Bill Committee No.12 30 Jan 1877 13 Feb 1877 15 days
Orange Gas-Light Bill Committee No.11 21 Dec 1876 11 Jan 1877 22 days
Lunatic Asylum, Parramatta Committee No.5 19 Dec 1876 09 May 1877 4 months 21 days
The Bassett Darley Estates Bill Committee No.9 19 Dec 1876 18 Jan 1877 1 month
Lunatic Asylum, Parramatta Committee No.25 01 Aug 1876 22 Aug 1876 22 days
The Case of Alfred Arnold Committee No.24 16 May 1876 27 Jun 1876 1 month 12 days
Petition of Wilson and Cawley Committee No.21 11 Apr 1876 19 Jul 1876 3 months 9 days
Supply of Coal for Railway Purposes Committee No.16 29 Feb 1876 30 Jun 1876 4 months 2 days
Cooma Roman Catholic Church Trustees Bill Committee No.15 24 Feb 1876 02 Mar 1876 8 days
North Shore Gas Bill Committee No.5 19 Nov 1875 08 Dec 1875 20 days
Refreshment Room No.4 18 Nov 1875 22 Aug 1876 9 months 5 days
Petition of Mr Stephen Stanbridge Committee No.17 30 Jun 1875 28 Jul 1875 29 days
Mineral Selection at Milburn Creek Committee No.15 25 May 1875 04 Aug 1875 2 months 11 days
Dubbo Presbyterian Manse Trustee Bill Committee No.10 27 Apr 1875 29 Apr 1875 3 days
Goulburn Cattle Sale Yards Bill Committee No.11 27 Apr 1875 06 May 1875 10 days
Petition of Messrs. Blomfield and Munford Committee No.9 20 Apr 1875 11 Aug 1875 3 months 23 days
Member for East Sydney 09 Dec 1874 17 Aug 1877 2 years 8 months 9 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 09 Dec 1874 26 Jan 1887 12 years 1 month 18 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
President of the Protestant Friendly Society in 1864; President of the newly formed Protestant Political Association , July 1868; Acting British Commissioner at Sydney for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1879; New South Wales Commissioner for exhibitions at Amsterdam in 1882, South Kensington in 1886 and Adelaide and Melbourne in 1887; Chairman of the Royal Commission on Friendly Societies between 1881 and 1882; Chairman of the Casual Labour Board in 1887; Director of Randwick Institution for Destitute Children; Director of Sydney Hospital; Treasurer of Sydney Night Refuge.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Blacksmith and ironmonger. Had little education, at age nine worked as a messenger in an Ironworks, and later became a blacksmith. In 1864 he set up as an ironmonger, in York Street, Sydney.
Military Service
Honours Received
Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George 1879 (CMG)
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman of the Sydney City Council for Cook Ward from 1 December 1874 until 30 November 1882.
Personal
Son of John Davies, an engineer and his wife Honorah Roberts. Married Elizabeth Eaton on 3 April 1861 and had issue, 1son and 5 daughters. Baptised Roman Catholic but became a militant Protestant,; Presbyterian wedding. Teetotaller, temperance agitator and a non-smoker, but was appointed to the Licensing Bench in 1882. Repudiated Catholicism and joined the Loyal Orange Lodge, where he rose to high office. Church of England funeral. Estate valued at £6,296.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), Volume 4

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.