Martin ministry (1866–1868)
Second Martin ministry | |
|---|---|
 10th Cabinet of the Colony of New South Wales | |
  Premier James Martin and the Colony of New South Wales (1863–1900) | |
| Date formed | 22 January 1866 |
| Date dissolved | 26 October 1868 |
| People and organisations | |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Governor | Sir John Young / The Earl Belmore |
| Head of government | James Martin |
| No. of ministers | 9 |
| Member party | unaligned |
| Status in legislature | Minority government |
| Opposition party | unaligned |
| Opposition leader | |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Fourth Cowper ministry |
| Successor | Second Robertson ministry |
The second Martin ministry was the tenth ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and second of three occasions of being led by James Martin QC.
Martin was elected in the first free elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly held in 1856. He came to power as Premier on the first occasion after he defeated Charles Cowper's government fell in October 1863.[1] Martin was asked to form government on the second occasion, this time in coalition with his former rival, Henry Parkes, after Cowper again lost the confidence of the Assembly in December 1865.[1]
The title of Premier was widely used to refer to the Leader of Government, but not enshrined in formal use until 1920.
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.[2] Such ministerial by-elections were usually uncontested and each of James Martin (The Lachlan), Henry Parkes (Kiama), James Byrnes (Parramatta) and Geoffrey Eagar (West Sydney) were re-elected unopposed. A poll was required in Patrick's Plains (Bowie Wilson) and Yass Plains (Robert Isaacs) however both ministers were comfortably re-elected with more than 70% of the vote.[3]
This ministry covers the period from 22 January 1866 until 26 October 1868, when Martin resigned.[4]
Composition of ministry
| Portfolio | Minister | Term start | Term end | Term length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Attorney-General |
James Martin | 22 January 1866 | 26 October 1868 | 2 years, 278 days |
| Colonial Secretary | Henry Parkes | 17 September 1868 | 2 years, 239 days | |
| Joseph Docker MLC | 28 September 1868 | 26 October 1868 | 28 days | |
| Representative of the Government in the Legislative Council | 22 January 1866 | 2 years, 278 days | ||
| Colonial Treasurer | Geoffrey Eagar | |||
| Secretary for Lands | Bowie Wilson | |||
| Secretary for Public Works | James Byrnes | |||
| Solicitor General | Robert Isaacs | |||
| Postmaster-General | Joseph Docker MLC | 22 January 1866 | 27 September 1868 | 2 years, 249 days |
| Atkinson Tighe | 29 September 1868 | 26 October 1868 | 27 days |
Ministers are members of the Legislative Assembly unless otherwise noted.
See also
- Self-government in New South Wales
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1864–1869
- First Martin ministry (1863–1865)
- Third Martin ministry (1870–1872)
References
- ^ a b Serle, Percival (1949). "Martin, James". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ Twomey, Anne (2004). The Constitution of New South Wales. Federation Press. pp. 442. ISBN 9781862875166. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ Green, Antony. "1865 to 1869 by-elections". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "Part 6 Ministries since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
