Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

Former Member Details

Mr James Brindley BETTINGTON (1796 - 1857)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 01/01/1796
Place of Birth: Bristol, England
Date of Death: 02/08/1857
Place of Death: Plymouth, England
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 01 Sep 1851 31 Mar 1853 1 year 7 months An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the Pastoral Districts of Wellington and Bligh
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Original subscriber to and a trustee of All Saints' Church of England, Parramatta and in 1852 was a district warden of Parramatta, where he made his permanent home near Oatlands in 1840.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Merchant and pastoralist. After some years as a general merchant and wool importer in the family business in Lothbury, London, Bettington arrived in Sydney in 1827 in the Ionia to establish a wool brokers office and to breed Saxon sheep. Began business as a shipping agent almost immediately became a magistrate and joined the Agricultural and Horticultural Society. Leased 700 acres of government land at Rooty Hill near two famous horse studs. Began breeding horses. Joined his father in law on the directorate of the Bank of New South Wales. Retired from his Sydney business in 1837 and by purchase and lease extended his estate beyond the Liverpool Ranges. Held 90,000 acres of leasehold land in the Bligh district and in 1851-1853 represented the pastoral districts of Wellington and Bligh in the Legislative Council.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of John Bettington of bristol and grandson of James Brindley, engineer and canal builder of Staffodshire. Married Rebecca Lawson on 7 June 1830 of Veteran Hall whose interest in horse breeding matched his own, and had issue 3 daughters and 3 sons.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3. Bettington Street, Millers POint; Bettington Road, Dundas; and Bettington Street, Merriwa all take their names from the Bettington family.