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Member Details

Sir Alexander STUART, KCMG (1824 - 1886)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 21/03/1824
Place of Birth: Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of Death: 16/06/1886
Place of Death: London, England
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 17 Nov 1885 16 Jun 1886 7 months Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 7 October 1885
Library Committee No.6 24 Sep 1885 02 Oct 1885 9 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.7 24 Sep 1885 02 Oct 1885 9 days
Standing Orders Committee No.5 24 Sep 1885 02 Oct 1885 9 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 09 Sep 1885 09 Sep 1885 1 day
Blandford Proprietary School Bill Committee No.54 15 Jul 1884 01 Nov 1884 3 months 18 days
Medical Bill Committee No.52 13 Jun 1884 01 Nov 1884 4 months 20 days
Address of Condolence with Her Majesty the Queen Committee No.43 01 Apr 1884 01 Apr 1884 1 day Chairman
Claims of Immigrants by ship “Northampton” Committee No.7 16 Oct 1883 01 Nov 1884 1 year 17 days
Mr Lamont Young and Party Committee No.6 12 Oct 1883 25 Jun 1884 8 months 14 days
Library Committee No.2 10 Oct 1883 01 Nov 1884 1 year 23 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 10 Oct 1883 01 Nov 1884 1 year 23 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 10 Oct 1883 01 Nov 1884 1 year 23 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 09 Oct 1883 09 Oct 1883 1 day
Mr Lamont Young and Party Committee No.20 06 Apr 1883 02 May 1883 27 days
Acting Secretary for Public Works 29 Mar 1883 27 May 1883 1 month 29 days
Working of the Fisheries Act of 1881 Committee No.7 30 Jan 1883 21 Apr 1883 2 months 23 days
Library Committee No.2 18 Jan 1883 02 May 1883 3 months 15 days
Refreshment Room No.4 18 Jan 1883 02 May 1883 3 months 15 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 18 Jan 1883 02 May 1883 3 months 15 days
Member for Illawarra 10 Jan 1883 07 Oct 1885 2 years 8 months 28 days
Colonial Secretary 05 Jan 1883 06 Oct 1885 2 years 9 months 2 days
Premier 05 Jan 1883 06 Oct 1885 2 years 9 months 2 days
Member for Illawarra 09 Dec 1882 05 Jan 1883 28 days
Library Committee No.2 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
Presbyterian Church Property Management Bill Committee No.15 30 Aug 1881 27 Sep 1881 29 days
United Church of England and Ireland School at Paddington Sale Bill Committee No.13 26 Aug 1881 01 Sep 1881 7 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.9 07 Jul 1881 20 Dec 1881 5 months 14 days
Refreshment Room No.5 06 Jul 1881 20 Dec 1881 5 months 15 days
Church of England Trust Property Incorporation Bill Committee No.11 28 Jan 1881 22 Feb 1881 26 days Chairman
Kurrajong Land and Riley Street Surry Hills Land Sales Bill Committee No.6 13 Jan 1881 21 Jan 1881 9 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.7 17 Dec 1880 15 Mar 1881 2 months 27 days
Refreshment Room No.4 17 Dec 1880 06 Apr 1881 3 months 21 days
Member for Illawarra 20 Nov 1880 23 Nov 1882 2 years 4 days
Member for Illawarra 07 Jul 1880 09 Nov 1880 4 months 3 days
Railway through the City of Sydney Committee No.5 30 Oct 1879 13 Jul 1880 8 months 14 days
Valedictory Address to His Excellency the Governor Committee No.24 13 Mar 1879 13 Mar 1879 1 day
Sunday Sale of Liquors Prevention Bill Committee No.21 22 Mar 1878 16 May 1878 1 month 25 days
Library Committee No.4 30 Jan 1878 21 May 1878 3 months 22 days
Newcastle Glebe Leasing Bill Committee No.7 30 Jan 1878 21 May 1878 3 months 22 days Chairman
Standing Orders Committee No.5 30 Jan 1878 21 May 1878 3 months 22 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 30 Nov 1877 31 Jan 1878 2 months 2 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 28 Nov 1877 28 Nov 1877 1 day
Member for East Sydney 24 Oct 1877 25 Nov 1879 2 years 1 month 2 days
Albert Dangar’s Leasing Act Amendment Bill Committee No.19 17 May 1877 01 Jun 1877 16 days Chairman
Bathurst and Grafton and Armidale Lands Transfer Bill Committee No.13 30 Jan 1877 22 Feb 1877 24 days
Employment of Children Committee No.6 19 Dec 1876 09 May 1877 4 months 21 days
Library Committee No.2 14 Dec 1876 11 Oct 1877 9 months 28 days
Member for East Sydney 15 Feb 1876 12 Oct 1877 1 year 7 months 28 days
Colonial Treasurer 08 Feb 1876 21 Mar 1877 1 year 1 month 14 days
Employment of Children Committee No.9 14 Dec 1875 03 Aug 1876 7 months 21 days
Diseases affecting Live Stock Committee No.7 26 Nov 1875 13 Jul 1876 7 months 18 days
Library Committee No.2 18 Nov 1875 22 Aug 1876 9 months 5 days
Diseases affecting Live Stock Committee No.19 15 Jul 1875 11 Aug 1875 28 days
Removal of Public Money from Bank of New South Wales Committee No.14 11 May 1875 22 Jun 1875 1 month 12 days
Dubbo Presbyterian Manse Trustee Bill Committee No.10 27 Apr 1875 29 Apr 1875 3 days
All Saints Parsonage Bill Committee No.7 02 Apr 1875 13 Apr 1875 12 days
Library Committee No.3 31 Mar 1875 11 Aug 1875 4 months 12 days
Member for East Sydney 09 Dec 1874 08 Feb 1876 1 year 2 months
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 09 Dec 1874 07 Oct 1885 10 years 9 months 29 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Businessman. Educated at Edinburgh Academy from 1832 until 1835; attended University of Edinburgh but did not graduate. Worked in merchant's offices in Leith and Glasgow; then manager of North Ireland Linen Mills, Belfast. Joined Carr Tagore & Co., mercantile and banking firm in Calcutta. Moved to New Zealand in 1850 and arrived in Sydney in October 1851; Travelled to Ballarat goldfield, Victoria, for few months; returned to New Zealand, where failed in sheep farming venture; returned to New South Wales August 1852. Joined Bank of New South Wales as assistant secretary in 1852; also assistant inspector in 1853; Secretary and inspector 1854 at £1200 p.a. Partner in R. Towns (q.v.) & Co. 1855, and senior partner on Towns' death in 1873. Director of the Bank of New South Wales from 1855 until 1861, 1867 until 1876, 1877 until 1879; President in 1861. In 1860s and 1870s was Trustee of Savings Bank of New South Wales and sometime Chairman Australian General Assurance Company. Director of Waratah Coal Co; took up extensive mining leases in Illawarra district in 1870s; from late 1870s chairman and proprietor Coal Cliff Coal Co. and a Director of the Trust and Agency Co. of Australia. In 1880s a Director of the National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Limited, the Bowenfels Coal Mining and Copper Smelting Company and the Sydney Exchange Co. (1882 until 1886); also local director of the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company. In 1860s invested extensively and unprofitably in properties in Queensland through R. Towns & Co; had real estate on North Shore, Sydney; owned two steamships built 1879. Almost bankrupt from1879 until 1880, but recovered. Commissioner for New South Wales at International Exhibition, Philadelphia, 1876; Executive Commissioner for New South Wales at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition 1886. Devout Anglican; lay member Sydney Diocesan synods from 1866; active on standing committee; represented Sydney on Provincial Synod from 1874 until 1883 and on General Synod from 1876; member of St Andrew's Cathedral Chapter from 1868; trustee Church lands, and of Moore Theological College; on Committee Church Society; fellow St Paul's College, University of Sydney; a founder of the Church of England Defence Association; asked by Bishop Barker to stand for the Legislative Assembly in 1874; favoured state aid to church schools. Friend of Charles Cowper from early 1850s; sued Rev. J.D. Lang for criminal libel 1855, resulting in latter's imprisonment for 6 months. Handicapped by stroke from October 1884. Estate valued at £83, 600.
Military Service
Honours Received
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1885
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Alexander Stuart, writer to the signet, and his wife Mary McKnight. Married Christiana Eliza Wood on 10 November 1853 at Cobbity, New South Wales had issue, l son and 3 daughters.
Additional Information
Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Robert Towns and Company - papers, 1829 - 1940, including personal papers of Sir Alexander Stuart and W.E Wilson (MLMSS 1279); photographs in the PICMAN Database. Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6 A biography is on the 'Electric Scotland' Website: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/australia/stuart_alexander.htm David Clune and Ken Turner (Editors), The Premiers of New South Wales: Volume 1 - 1856 - 1901, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2006 [Chapter 9: "Stuart, Alexander", by Martha Rutledge, p. 153]