Forster ministry
| Forster ministry | |
|---|---|
| 5th cabinet of the Colony of New South Wales | |
|
Premier William Forster and the Colony of New South Wales (1856–1859) | |
| Date formed | 27 October 1859 |
| Date dissolved | 8 March 1860 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of government | William Forster |
| Head of state | Queen Victoria (represented by William Denison) |
| Number of ministers | 6 |
| Member party | unaligned |
| Status in legislature | Minority government |
| Opposition party | unaligned |
| Opposition leader | |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Second Cowper ministry |
| Successor | First Robertson ministry |
The Forster ministry was the fifth ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by the Honourable William Forster. Forster was elected in the first free elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly held in March 1856. He was asked to form Government after the second Cowper ministry lost an educational bill in the Assembly.
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. These by-elections are only noted when the minister was defeated; in general, he was elected unopposed.
This ministry covers the period of just four months from 27 October 1859 until 8 March 1860, when Forster resigned his commission.[1][2]
Composition of ministry
| Portfolio | Minister | Term start | Term end | Term length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Colonial Secretary |
Hon. William Forster MLA | 27 October 1859 | 8 March 1860 | 133 days |
| Colonial Treasurer | Hon. Saul Samuel MLA | |||
| Secretary for Lands | Hon. John Black MLA | |||
| Secretary for Public Works Representative of the Government in Legislative Council |
Hon. Geoffrey Eagar MLC | |||
| Attorney-General | Hon. Edward Wise MLAa | 27 October 1859 | 13 February 1860 | 109 days |
| Hon. Sir William Manning MLA | 21 February 1860 | 8 March 1860 | 16 days | |
| Solicitor-General | Hon. John Hargrave MLA | 3 November 1859 | 126 days | |
:a Edward Wise resigned his commission in 1860 and was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
See also
- William Forster - fourth Premier of New South Wales
- Self-government in New South Wales
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1859–1860
References
- ↑ Serle, Percival. "Forster, William (1818-1882)". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Project Gutenberg Australia. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
- ↑ "Former Members - Chronological List of Ministries 1856 to 2009 (requires download)" (Excel spreadsheet). Project for the Sesquicentenary of Responsible Government in NSW. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
| Preceded by Second Cowper ministry |
Forster ministry 1859–1860 |
Succeeded by First Robertson ministry |
