Dibbs ministry (1885)
The first Dibbs ministry was the 21st ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was the first of three occasions of being led by the Premier, the Honourable George Dibbs. Dibbs was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1874.
First Dibbs ministry | |
---|---|
21st Cabinet of the Colony of New South Wales | |
Premier George Dibbs and the Colony of New South Wales (1863–1900) | |
Date formed | 7 October 1885 |
Date dissolved | 21 December 1885 |
People and organisations | |
Head of state | Queen Victoria (represented by Lord Augustus Loftus and subsequently The Lord Carrington) |
Head of government | George Dibbs |
No. of ministers | 10 |
Member party | unaligned |
Status in legislature | Minority government |
Opposition party | unaligned |
Opposition leader | John Robertson |
History | |
Predecessor | Stuart ministry |
Successor | Fifth Robertson ministry |
There was no party system in New South Wales politics until 1887. Under the constitution, ministers were required to resign to recontest their seats in a by-election when appointed. These by-elections are only noted when the minister was defeated; in general, he was elected unopposed.
This ministry covers the period from 7 October 1885 until 21 December 1885. Dibbs took over as Premier following the October 1885 resignation of the Hon. Alexander Stuart MLA due to ill-health. At the subsequent election Dibbs' government polled badly and despite attempting to govern; less than three months later when it became clear that there would be a budget deficit of over £1m.[1][2][3] Dibbs was succeeded by John Robertson.[4]
Composition of ministry
Portfolio | Minister | Term start | Term end | Term length |
---|---|---|---|---|
Premier | Hon. George Dibbs MLA | 7 October 1885 | 21 December 1885 | 75 days |
Colonial Treasurer | 10 October 1885 | 72 days | ||
Colonial Secretary | 7 October 1885 | 9 October 1885 | 2 days | |
Hon. Sir Patrick Jennings MLC | 10 October 1885 | 21 December 1885 | 72 days | |
Minister of Public Instruction | Hon. William Trickett MLA | 7 October 1885 | 75 days | |
Representative of the Government in Legislative Council | Hon. George Thornton MLC | 13 November 1885 | 21 December 1885 | 38 days |
Hon. James Farnell MLC | 7 October 1885 | 9 October 1885 | 2 days | |
Minister of Justice | ||||
Hon. Thomas Slattery MLA | 2 November 1885 | 21 December 1885 | 49 days | |
Attorney-General | Hon. John Want MLA | 7 October 1885 | 75 days | |
Secretary for Lands | Hon. Joseph Palmer Abbott MLA | |||
Secretary for Public Works | Hon. Henry Badgery MLA | 31 October 1885 | 24 days | |
Hon. William Lyne MLA | 2 November 1885 | 21 December 1885 | 49 days | |
Postmaster-General | Hon. John See MLA | 7 October 1885 | 75 days | |
Secretary for Mines | Hon. Francis Wright MLA | 17 October 1885 | 10 days | |
Hon. George Thornton MLC | 13 November 1885 | 21 December 1885 | 38 days |
See also
References
- Mansfield, Bruce E. "Dibbs, Sir George Richard (1834 - 1904)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 5 July 2019 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- "Sir George Richard Dibbs (1834-1904)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Dibbs, Sir George Richard (1834 - 1904)". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- "Former Members - Chronological List of Ministries 1856 to 2009 (requires download)". Project for the Sesquicentenary of Responsible Government in NSW. Parliament of New South Wales. Archived from the original (Excel spreadsheet) on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
Preceded by Stuart ministry |
First Dibbs ministry 1885 |
Succeeded by Fifth Robertson ministry |