Adoptive State (working title:Here we are in New South Wales)

The first time I moved to the premier state in 1986, I got a job straight away. I'd been working in Perth; see-sawing between the Commonwealth departments of Education and Immigration (a pattern I would later repeat), but what always impressed me about Sydney was the amount of work available. That first job, reading gas meters on the North Shore, brought home to me why this was so. At a big rah-rah session we attended for AGL, the previous year's Christmas photos showed a different set of faces to the ones who were in attendance. With such a transient population, being in the right place at the right time meant being prepared to roll up your sleeves and not about to piss off overseas any time soon.

Those first two years of life in the Bigger Smoke were so eventful that it seems incredible to me now that it wasn't a lot longer. I'm hopeless at timescales so I'm relying on my resume for this but it appears that I lived in three inner city terrace houses, saw umpteen zillion bands, jammed with my own band and wrote numerous songs, caught up with the original Twilight Zone episodes and the significant independant and cult films to that time, in the space of two years. Even now I'm tempted to say they were the best couple of years in my life.

If I was politically strident enough to pass up the opportunity of a perfect view to the Tall Ships re-enactment in the Bicentennary year, at least I was in Brisbane for Expo and lived there for a year. From mid-89 to early 97 I was back in Perth, feeling the tyranny of distance. I've been in the Blue Mountains ever since.

The early Kings and Queens of New South Wales

King George III

King George IV

King William IV

Queen Victoria

A List of Governors of New South Wales

1. Captain Arthur Phillip, RN 26 Jan, 1788 to 10 Dec, 1792
2. Captain John Hunter, RN 11 Sept, 1795 to 27 Sept, 1800
3. Captain Philip Gidley King, RN 28 Sept, 1800 to 12 Aug, 1806
4. Captain William Bligh, RN 13 Aug, 1806 to 26 Jan, 1808
5. Major-General Lachlan Macquarie 1 Jan, 1810 to 1 Dec, 1821
6. Major-General Sir Thomas Brisbane 1 Dec, 1821 to 1 Dec, 1825
7. Lt-Gen. Ralph Darling 19 Dec, 1825 to 22 Oct, 1831
8. Major-General Sir Richard Bourke 3 Dec, 1831 to 5 Dec, 1837
9. Sir George Gipps 24 Feb, 1838 to 11 July, 1846
10. Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy 3 Aug, 1846 to 20 Jan, 1855
11. Sir William Thomas Denison 20 Jan, 1855 to 22 Jan, 1861
12. Rt. Hon. Sir John Young (Gov-in-Chief) 16 May, 1861 to 24 Dec, 1867
13. Rt. Hon. Somerset Richard, Earl of Belmore 8 Jan, 1868 to 21 Feb, 1872
14. Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson 3 June, 1872 to 19 Mar, 1879
15. Rt. Hon. Sir Augustus Loftus 4 Aug, 1879 to 9 Nov, 1885
16. Rt. Hon. Charles Robert, Baron Carrington 12 Dec, 1885 to 3 Nov, 1890
17. Rt. Hon. Victor George, Earl of Jersey 15 Jan, 1891 to 2 Mar, 1893
18. Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Duff 29 May, 1893 to 15 Mar, 1895
19. Rt. Hon. Henry Robert, Viscount Hampden 21 Nov, 1895 to 5 Mar, 1899
20. Rt. Hon. William, Earl Beauchamp 18 May, 1899 to 30 April, 1901
21. Admiral Sir Harry Rawson 27 May, 1902 to 27 May 1909
22. Rt. Hon. Frederick Napier, Baron Chelmsford 28 May, 1909 to 11 Mar, 1913
23. Sir Gerald Strickland, Count della Catena 14 Mar, 1913 to 27 Oct, 1917
24. Sir Walter Davidson 18 Feb, 1918 to 4 Sept, 1923
25. Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair 28 Feb, 1924 to 7 April, 1930
26. Air Vice-Marshall Sir Philip Game 29 May, 1930 to 15 Jan, 1935
27. Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven 21 Feb, 1935 to 22 Jan, 1936
28. Admiral Sir Murray Anderson 6 Aug, 1936 to 29 Oct, 1936
29. The Right Hon Baron Wakehurst 8 April, 1937 to 8 Jan, 1946
30. Lt-Gen Sir John Northcott 1 Aug, 1946 to 31 July, 1957
31. Lt-Gen Sir Eric Woodward 1 Aug, 1957 to 31 July, 1965
32. Sir Arthur Roden Cutler 20 Jan, 1966 to 19 Jan, 1981
33. Air Marshall Sir James Rowland 20 Jan, 1981 to 20 Jan, 1989
34. Rear Admiral Sir David Martin 20 Jan, 1989 to 7 Aug, 1990
35. Rear Admiral Peter Sinclair 8 Aug, 1990 to 29 Feb, 1996
36. The Honourable Gordon J Samuels 1 Mar, 1996 to 28 February 2001
37. Professor Marie Bashir 1 Mar, 2001 to the present

premiers

PREMIER’S ROLE IN NSW HISTORY



The role of Premier did not emerge until the New South Wales Parliament was established in 1856. Originally, the Premier was referred to as the Colonial Prime Minister until all of the states of Australia united in Federation in 1901.

By definition, the Premier is a member of the Legislative Assembly and must have enough support amongst other Assembly members in order to form a Government. It was often difficult for the early Premiers to stay in office because political parties did not exist and they did not have guaranteed support within their government. The result was that Premiers and governments changed every 18 months (on average) and there were 13 different Premiers and 29 changes of government between 1856 and 1900.

Political parties began to develop in New South Wales in the late 1880's. By 1890, the Labor Party had been formed and other parliament members formed into two groupings – the "Free Traders" and the "Protectionists" – who were divided over the issue of import duties to protect local industry.

After Federation, the Free Trade versus Protection issue was no longer under the control of state parliaments, so the non-Labor parties evolved into the Liberal Party (formed in 1944) and the Country (now National) Party (formed in 1925). The formation of these parties ensured greater stability of Government, and since 1900, New South Wales Premiers have averaged almost 4 years in office. Since Federation, there have been 26 different Premiers and 16 changes of government in New South Wales.

Federation also meant that the 'Colonial Prime Minister' is now referred to as 'Premier of New South Wales'.

[from the NSW Premier webpage]

PAST PREMIERS

Colonial Prime Ministers

Stuart A. Donaldson
Colonial Secretary**
from 6 June 1856 to 25 Aug 1856

Charles Cowper
Colonial Secretary**
from 26 Aug 1856 to 2 Oct 1856

Henry W. Parker
Colonial Secretary**
from 3 Oct 1856 to 7 Sept 1857

Charles Cowper
Colonial Secretary**
from 7 Sept 1857 to 26 Oct 1859

William Forster
Colonial Secretary**
from 27 Oct 1859 to 8 Mar 1860

John Robertson
Secretary for Lands**
from 9 Mar 1860 to 9 Jan 1861

Charles Cowper
Colonial Secretary**
from 10 Jan 1861 to 15 Oct 1863

James Martin
Attorney-General**
from 16 Oct 1863 to 2 Feb 1865

Charles Cowper
Colonial Secretary**
from 3 Feb 1865 to 21 Jan 1865

James Martin, QC
Attorney-General**
from 22 Jan 1866 to 26 Oct 1868

John Robertson
Colonial Secretary**
from 27 Oct 1868 to 12 Jan 1870
Resigned.

Charles Cowper
Colonial Secretary**
from 13 Jan 1870 to 15 Dec 1870
Appointed Agent-General for the Colony. 6 December 1870, but held office as Colonial Secretary till 15 Dec 1870.

Sir James Martin, Kt., QC
Attorney-General**
from 16 Dec 1870 to 13 May 1872

Henry ParkesColonial Secretary**
from 14 May 1872 to 8 Feb 1875

John Robertson
Colonial Secretary**
from 9 Feb 1875 to 21 Mar 1877

Henry Parkes
Colonial Secretary**
from 22 Mar 1877 to 16 Aug 1877

Sir John Robertson, KCMG
Colonial Secretary**
from 17 Aug 1877 to 17 Dec 1877

James Squire Farnell
Secretary for Lands**
from 18 Dec 1877 to 20 Dec 1878

Sir Henry Parkes, KCMG
Colonial Secretary**
from 21 Dec 1878 to 29 Dec 1881
from 19 Aug 1882 to 4 Jan 1883
Absent from the Colony on account of ill-health and an Official tour of England and the United States from 29 Dec 1881 to 19 August 1882. Also Secretary for Lands.

Sir John Robertson, KCMG (Acting)
Colonial Secretary**
from 29 Dec 1881 to 19 August 1882 while Sir Henry Parkes was absent from the Colony

Sir Alexander Stuart, KCMG
Colonial Secretary
from 5 Jan 1883 to 6 Oct 1885
Absent from the Colony on account of ill-health from 7 Oct 1884 to 11 May 1885.

George Richard Dibbs
Colonial Secretary **
from 7 Oct 1885 to 9 Oct 1885

Sir John Robertson, KCMG
Colonial Secretary**
from 22 Dec 1885 to 22 Feb 1886

Sir Patrick Alfred Jennings, KCMG
Colonial Treasurer **
from 26 Feb 1886 to 19 Jan 1887

Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG
Colonial Secretary**
From 25 Jan 1887 to 16 Jan 1889
Vice-President of the Executive Council, from 20 January 1887 to 6 March 1887.

George Richard Dibbs
Colonial Secretary **
from 17 Jan 1889 to 7 March 1889

Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG
Colonial Secretary and Registrar of Records**
from 8 March 1889 to 22 Oct 1891

Sir George Richard Dibbs, KCMG
Colonial Secretary and Registrar of Records**
from 23 Oct 1891 to 2 Aug 1894
Absent from the Colony from 30 April to 13 Sept 1892.

The Right Hon. George Houston Reid, PC., QC., LL.D.
Colonial Treasurer and Collector of Internal Revenue**
from 5 April 1898 to 18 June 1898
from 19 April 1899 to 3 July 1899
from 3 July 1899 to 13 Sept 1899

Solicitor-General from 21 Dec 1894 to 5 March 1895; 19 Dec 1895 to 20 April 1896; 22 Dec 1896 to 9 Feb 1897; 27 April to 7 Oct. 1898; and 3 Jan 1899 to 1 May 1899.

Absent from the Colony, 7 May 1897 to 31 Aug 1897; 2 May 1899 to 17 May 1899
Acting Prime Minister, 7 May 1897 to 31 Aug 1897.
Succeeded by Joseph Hector Carruthers. and James Nixon Brunker

Sir William John Lyne, KCMG
Colonial Treasurer and Collector of Internal Revenue**
from 15 Sept 1899 to 20 March 1901
Vice-President of the Executive Council from 14 to 15 Sept., 1899. Resigned Premiership, 27 March, 1901.


** Also referred to as Prime Minister.



Premiers of New South Wales
- 1901 to the Present

John (later Sir John) See (Progressive)*
28 March 1901 to 14 June 1904

Thomas Waddell (Ministerialist)
15 June 1904 to 29 August 1904

Joseph (later Sir Joseph) Hector Carruthers (Liberal Reform)
30 August 1904 to 1 October 1907

Charles (later Sir Charles) Gregory Wade (Liberal)
2 October 1907 to 20 October 1910

James Sinclair Taylor McGowen (ALP)
21 October 1910 to 29 June 1913

William Arthur Holman (ALP)
30 June 1913 to 15 November 1916
15 November 1916 to 12 April 1920 (Nationalist)

John Storey (ALP)
13 April 1920 to 5 October 1921

James Dooley (ALP)
5 October 1921 to 20 December 1921
20 December 1921 to 13 April 1922

Sir George Warburton Fuller (Nationalist)
20 December 1921 to 13 April 192217 June 1925
17 June 1925

John Lang(ALP)
17 June 1925 to 18 October 1927
4 November 1930 to 13 May 1932

Thomas (later Sir Thomas) Rainsford Bavin (Nationalist)
18 October 1927 to 3 November 1930

Bertram (later Sir Bertram) Sydney Barnsdale Stevens (UAP)
13 May 1932 to 5 August 1939

Alexander Mair (UAP)
5 August 1939 to 16 May 1941

William (later Sir William) John McKell (ALP)
16 May 1941 to 6 February 1947

James McGirr (ALP)
6 February 1947 to 2 April 1952

John Joseph Cahill (ALP)
2 April 1952 to 22 October 1959

Robert James Heffron (ALP)
23 October 1959 to 30 April 1964

John Brophy Renshaw (ALP)
30 April 1964 to 13 May 1965

Robin (later Sir Robert) William Askin†(Liberal)
13 May 1965 to 3 January 1975

Thomas Lancelot Lewis (Liberal)
3 January 1975 to 23 January 1976

Sir Eric Archibald Willis (Liberal)
23 January 1976 to 14 May 1976

Neville Kenneth Wran (ALP)
14 May 1976 to 4 July 1986

Laurie John Ferguson ‡(ALP)
16 May 1983 to 29 July 1983

Barrie John Unsworth (ALP)
4 July 1986 to 25 March 1988

Nicholas Frank Greiner (Liberal)
25 March 1988 to 24 June 1992

John Joseph Fahey (Liberal)
24 June 1992 to 4 April 1995

Robert John Carr (ALP)
4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005

Morris Iemma (ALP)
3 August 2005 to Present

The party title given is that in use when the election that brought that particular group to office was held. Thus "Liberal" and "Progressive" are used in preference to "Free Trade" and "Protectionist".

† Name changed to Robert William Askin by deed poll 14 December 1971; knighted (K.C.M.G.) 1 January, 1972.

‡ Acting Premier (while Premier Wran stood down during Street Royal Commission).