John Fitzgerald Burns

John Fitzgerald Burns (1833 – 19 March 1911)[1] was an Australian politician, member of the Parliament of New South Wales, Postmaster-General in the 1870s and Colonial Treasurer in the 1880s.

John Fitzgerald Burns, 1875 engraving

Burns was born in the north of Ireland, and emigrated to New South Wales at an early age.[2] In 1854 he had married Lucy Maria Smith at Maitland.[1]

Having engaged in mercantile pursuits in the Hunter River district, Burns was elected to the Legislative Assembly for Hunter at a by-election in 1861,[3] and holding the seat until his defeat at the 1869 election.[4] He was unsuccessful at the 1870 Goldfields North by-election,[5] but was elected for Hunter at the 1872 election.[6] When political parties emerged inat the 1887 election, Burns stood as a Free Trade candidate,[7] and held the seat until 1889.[8]

Burns switched to St Leonards for the 1889 election and when it was expanded to return 3 members, and was the third member elected.[9] He was narrowly defeated at the 1891 election.[10][1] At the 1891 election for Willoughby he stood as an independent free trade candidate, but was unsuccessful, receiving on 86 votes (4.53%).[11]

He was Postmaster-General in the Robertson ministry from February , and in the Farnell ministry from December 1877 to December 1878.[8] He introduced postal cards into Australia in 1875, and was the first to give employment to women in the telegraph department. In 1878 he arranged with the Governments of the other Australian colonies and New Zealand for the duplication of the submarine cable to Australia.[2] Burns was Treasurer in the fifth Robertson ministry from December 1885 to February 1886, and in that of Sir Henry Parkes from January 1887 to January 1889.[8] He was gazetted a C.M.G. in 1887, but declined the honour, and the appointment was cancelled.[2]

Burns died in Paddington, New South Wales on 19 March 1911; four sons and two daughters survived him.[1]

References

1. Rutledge, Martha. "Burns, John Fitzgerald (1833–1911)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 21 November 2013 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
2. Mennell, Philip (1892). "Burns, Hon. John Fitzgerald" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
3. Green, Antony. "1861 Hunter by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
4. Green, Antony. "1869-70 Hunter". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
5. Green, Antony. "1870 Goldfields North by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
6. Green, Antony. "1872 Hunter". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
7. Green, Antony. "1887 Hunter". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
8. "Mr John Fitzgerald Burns (1833-1911)". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
9. Green, Antony. "1889 St Leonards". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
10. Green, Antony. "1891 St Leonards". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
11. Green, Antony. "1894 Willoughby". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 April 2020.

 

Parliament of New South Wales
Political offices
Preceded by Saul Samuel	Postmaster-General 1875–1877	Succeeded by Saul Samuel
Preceded by John Davies	Postmaster-General 1877–1878	Succeeded by Saul Samuel
Preceded by George Dibbs	Colonial Treasurer 1885–1886	Succeeded by Sir Patrick Jennings
Preceded by Sir Patrick Jennings	Colonial Treasurer 1885–1886	Succeeded by James Garvan
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Isidore Blake	Member for Hunter 1861–1869	Succeeded by John Dillon
Preceded by John Dillon	Member for Hunter 1872–1889	Succeeded by Robert Scobie
Preceded by Isaac Ives Henry Parkes	Member for St Leonards 1889–1891 Served alongside: Joseph Cullen, Henry Parkes	Succeeded by Edward Clark