Wikipedia

Postmaster-General of New South Wales

The Postmaster-General of New South Wales was a position in the government of the colony of New South Wales. This portfolio managed the postal department of the New South Wales Government and was in charge of all postal and communications services in the colony prior to the Federation of Australia, from 1835 to 1901.[1][2] Upon Federation, Section 51(v) of the Constitution of Australia gave the Commonwealth exclusive power for "postal, telegraphic, telephonic, and other like services".[3]

Postmaster-General of New South Wales
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor of New South Wales
PrecursorPostmaster of New South Wales
Formation21 October 1835
First holderJames Raymond
Final holderPaddy Crick
Abolished28 January 1901
SuccessionPostmaster General of Australia
Postmaster-General's Department

History

edit

The first Postmaster of New South Wales, Isaac Nichols, was appointed by the military junta following the overthrow of Governor Bligh in the Rum Rebellion. Nichols retained the position when Governor Macquarie arrived in 1810, holding it until his death in 1819.[4] The post office was re-organised in 1835, with postmaster James Raymond being appointed as Postmaster-General, responsible for the various post offices throughout the colony. Raymond's replacement, Francis Merewether was appointed to the Legislative Council. With the establishment of responsible government in 1856, the position reverted to a civil service office. At first the postmaster-general reported to the Colonial Secretary, then the Colonial Treasurer.[5] In September 1865 the Governor declared that a member of the Legislative Assembly was capable of holding the office of Postmaster-General,[6] and James Cunneen was appointed, however his appointment as a minister did not give him a seat in cabinet.[7]

List of Postmasters-General

edit
Title Name Party affiliation Term start Term end Time in office Notes
Postmaster Isaac Nichols   Not a member of Legislative Council March 1809 18 November 1819 9–10 years [4]
George Panton 16 November 1819 24 April 1829 9 years, 159 days [8][9]
James Raymond 27 April 1829 20 October 1835 6 years, 176 days [10][11][12]
Postmaster-General 21 October 1835 29 May 1851 15 years, 220 days
Francis Merewether   Appointed position in Legislative Council 9 June 1851 30 April 1852 326 days [13]
William Christie Appointed position in Legislative Council, until 1856 1 May 1852 1 October 1865 13 years, 153 days [14]
James Cunneen No party 1 October 1865 21 October 1866 1 year, 20 days [7]
Joseph Docker 22 January 1866 27 September 1868 2 years, 249 days [15]
Atkinson Tighe 29 September 1868 26 October 1868 27 days [16]
Daniel Egan 27 October 1868 16 October 1870 1 year, 354 days [17]
Joseph Docker 16 December 1870 13 May 1872 1 year, 149 days [15]
George Lloyd 14 May 1872 4 December 1872 204 days
Saul Samuel 5 December 1872 8 February 1875 2 years, 65 days [18]
John Burns 9 February 1875 21 March 1877 2 years, 40 days [19]
Saul Samuel 22 March 1877 16 August 1877 147 days [18]
John Davies 17 August 1877 17 December 1877 122 days [20]
John Burns 18 December 1877 20 December 1878 1 year, 2 days [19]
Saul Samuel 21 December 1878 10 August 1880 1 year, 233 days [18]
Francis Suttor 11 August 1881 13 November 1881 94 days [21]
Stephen Brown 14 November 1881 22 August 1882 281 days [22]
Alexander Campbell 30 August 1882 4 January 1883 127 days [23]
Francis Wright 5 January 1883 27 May 1883 142 days [24]
William Trickett 28 May 1883 1 May 1884 339 days [25]
James Norton 2 May 1884 6 October 1885 1 year, 157 days [26]
John See 7 October 1885 21 December 1885 75 days [27]
Daniel O'Connor 22 December 1885 25 February 1886 65 days [28]
Francis Wright 26 February 1886 19 January 1887 327 days [24]
Charles Roberts   Free Trade 20 January 1887 16 January 1889 1 year, 362 days [29]
Henry Clarke   Protectionist 17 January 1889 7 March 1889 49 days [30]
Daniel O'Connor   Free Trade 8 March 1889 22 October 1891 2 years, 228 days [28]
John Kidd   Protectionist 27 October 1891 2 August 1894 2 years, 279 days [31]
Joseph Cook   Free Trade 3 August 1894 27 August 1898 4 years, 24 days [32]
Varney Parkes 27 August 1898 13 September 1899 1 year, 17 days [33]
Paddy Crick   Protectionist 14 September 1899 28 February 1901 1 year, 167 days [34]

References

edit
  1. ^ "PFO-156 Postmaster-General". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Part 6: Ministries 1856 to the present" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  3. ^ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 s. 51(v).
  4. ^ a b McMartin, Arthur (1967). "Nichols, Isaac (1770–1819)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 2. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  5. ^ "AGY-16 Colonial Secretary and Registrar of the Records of New South Wales". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Proclamation: office of Postmaster-General". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 203. 29 September 1865. p. 2173. Retrieved 17 December 2020 – via Trove.
  7. ^ a b Bowd, D G (1969). "Cunneen, James Augustine (1826–1889)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 3. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Promotions and Appointments: George Panton to be Postmaster". The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. 13 November 1819. p. 1. Retrieved 17 December 2020 – via Trove.
  9. ^ "Death: George Panton". The Sydney Monitor. 25 April 1829. p. 8. Retrieved 17 December 2020 – via Trove.
  10. ^ Parsons, Vivienne (1967). "Raymond, James (1786–1851)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 2. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Appointment: James Raymond to be Postmaster". The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. 28 April 1829. p. 1. Retrieved 17 December 2020 – via Trove.
  12. ^ "Post Office". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 190. 21 October 1835. p. 740. Retrieved 17 December 2020 – via Trove.
  13. ^ "Mr Francis Lewis Shaw Merewether (1811-1899)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Major William Harvie Christie (1808-1873)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  15. ^ a b "Mr Joseph Docker (1802–1884)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  16. ^ "Mr Atkinson Alfred Patrick Tighe (1827-1905)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  17. ^ "Mr Daniel Egan (1803–1870)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  18. ^ a b c "Sir Saul Samuel (1820–1900)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Mr John Fitzgerald Burns (1833-1911)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Mr John Davies CMG (1839-1896)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Sir Francis Bathurst Suttor (1839-1915)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  22. ^ "Mr Stephen Campbell Brown (1829-1882)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  23. ^ "Mr Alexander Campbell (1812-1891)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Mr Francis Augustus Wright (1835-1903)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  25. ^ "Mr William Joseph Trickett (1843-1916)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  26. ^ "Mr James Norton (junior), (1824-1906)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  27. ^ "Sir John See (1845–1907)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  28. ^ a b "The Hon. Daniel O'Connor (1844-1914)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  29. ^ "Mr Charles James Roberts (1846-1925)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  30. ^ "Mr Henry Clarke (1822-1907)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  31. ^ "The Hon. John Kidd (1838-1919)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  32. ^ "Sir Joseph Cook (1860–1947)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  33. ^ "Mr Varney Parkes (1859-1935)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  34. ^ "Mr William Patrick Crick (1862–1908)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Postmaster-General_of_New_South_Wales&oldid=1259279754"