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Mr John Hubert PLUNKETT (1802 - 1869)
- Date of Birth: 01/06/1802
- Place of Birth: Mount Plunkett, County Roscommon, Ireland
- Date of Death: 09/05/1869
- Place of Death: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Parliamentary Service
| Position | Start | End | Period | Parliament | Notes |
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| Member of the NSW Legislative Council | 19 Apr 1836 | 21 Mar 1841 | 4yr(s) 11mth(s) 3day(s) | | An Appointed Member of the first Legislative Council 1824 - 1843 |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council | 7 Aug 1843 | 29 Feb 1856 | 12yr(s) 6mth(s) 23day(s) |  | A Non-Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 – 1856 |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly | 31 Mar 1856 | 10 Nov 1860 | 4yr(s) 7mth(s) 11day(s) | | |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council | 28 Jan 1857 | 6 Feb 1858 | 1yr(s) 10day(s) | | First (Quinquennial) Appointments under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 28 January 1857. |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council | 1 Oct 1861 | 9 May 1869 | 7yr(s) 7mth(s) 9day(s) | | Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 24 June 1861 |
| Member for Bathurst (County) | 31 Mar 1856 | 29 May 1856 | 1mth(s) 29day(s) | 1st (1856 - 1857) | |
| Member for Argyle | 31 Mar 1856 | 27 Jan 1857 | 9mths 28days | 1st (1856 - 1857) | |
| Member for Cumberland (North Riding) | 13 Sep 1858 | 11 Apr 1859 | 6mth(s) 30day(s) | 2nd (1858 - 1859) | |
| Member for West Sydney | 14 Jun 1859 | 10 Nov 1860 | 1yr(s) 4mth(s) 28day(s) | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Vice President of the Executive Council | 16 Oct 1863 | 2 Feb 1865 | 1yr(s) 3mth(s) 18day(s) | | |
| Attorney General | 25 Aug 1865 | 21 Jan 1866 | 4mth(s) 28day(s) | | |
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| Solicitor-General | 14 Jun 1832 | 16 Sep 1836 | 4yr(s) 3mth(s) 3day(s) | | |
| Acting Attorney-General | 19 Apr 1836 | 16 Sep 1836 | 4mth(s) 29day(s) | | |
| Attorney-General | 17 Sep 1836 | 5 Jun 1856 | 19yr(s) 8mth(s) 20day(s) | | |
| President of the Legislative Council of New South Wales | 29 Jan 1857 | 6 Feb 1858 | 1yr(s) 9day(s) | | |
| Vice-President of Executive Council and Representative of Government | 24 Oct 1865 | 21 Jan 1866 | 2mth(s) 29day(s) | | |
| Standing Order Committee No.3 | 3 Jun 1856 | 18 Mar 1857 | 9mths 16days | 1st (1856 - 1857) | |
| City Commissioners’ Department Committee No.7 | 12 Aug 1856 | 18 Mar 1857 | 7mths 7days | 1st (1856 - 1857) | |
| Church and School Lands Committee No.11 | 19 Aug 1856 | 18 Mar 1857 | 6mths 28days | 1st (1856 - 1857) | |
| Additional Ministerial Department Committee No.12 | 20 Aug 1856 | 18 Mar 1857 | 6mths 27days | 1st (1856 - 1857) | |
| Deepening the River Hunter Committee No.16 | 4 Nov 1856 | 18 Mar 1857 | 4mths 15days | 1st (1856 - 1857) | |
| Civil Service Superannuation Fund Committee No.19 | 11 Nov 1856 | 18 Mar 1857 | 4mths 8days | 1st (1856 - 1857) | |
| Australian Mutual Provident Society’s Bill Committee No.26 | 12 Dec 1856 | 18 Mar 1857 | 3mths 7days | 1st (1856 - 1857) | |
| Extension of Railway to Windsor Committee No.6 | 17 Dec 1858 | 9 Apr 1859 | 3mths 24days | 2nd (1858 - 1859) | |
| Vacant Seat – Question of Privilege Committee No.9 | 3 Mar 1859 | 9 Apr 1859 | 1mth 7days | 2nd (1858 - 1859) | Chairman |
| Parliamentary Accommodation Committee No.10 | 17 Mar 1859 | 9 Apr 1859 | 24days | 2nd (1858 - 1859) | |
| Proposed Vote of Censure on the Attorney General Committee No.11 | 25 Mar 1859 | 9 Apr 1859 | 16days | 2nd (1858 - 1859) | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.2 | 1 Sep 1859 | 4 Jul 1860 | 10mths 4days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Elections and Qualifications Committee No.4 | 2 Sep 1859 | 4 Jul 1860 | 10mths 3days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| University of Sydney Committee No.5 | 13 Sep 1859 | 4 Jul 1860 | 9mths 22days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Sydney Grammar School Committee No.6 | 13 Sep 1859 | 4 Jul 1860 | 9mths 22days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Working of the Sydney Municipal Council Committee No.12 | 20 Sep 1859 | 4 Jul 1860 | 9mths 15days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Case of James Hibburd Committee No.16 | 23 Sep 1859 | 4 Jul 1860 | 9mths 12days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Condition of the Working Classes of the Metropolis Committee No.19 | 30 Sep 1859 | 4 Jul 1860 | 9mths 5days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Seat claimed by James Hoskins, Esquire, Committee No.23 | 13 Oct 1859 | 4 Jul 1860 | 8mths 22days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Petition of Alexander Berry, Esquire, Committee No.30 | 3 Feb 1860 | 4 Jul 1860 | 5mths 2days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Hawkesbury Benevolent Society’s Act Amendment Bill Committee No.35 | 16 Feb 1860 | 4 Jul 1860 | 4mths 19days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Dean of St Andrew’s Sydney Committee No.36 | 17 Feb 1860 | 4 Jul 1860 | 4mths 18days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Standing Orders Committee No.2 | 27 Sep 1860 | 9 Nov 1860 | 1mth 14days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Elections and Qualifications Committee No.7 | 28 Sep 1860 | 9 Nov 1860 | 1mth 13days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Petition of Mr Alexander Berry Committee No.9 | 12 Oct 1860 | 9 Nov 1860 | 29days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Present System of Tendering for the Public Service Committee No.11 | 16 Oct 1860 | 9 Nov 1860 | 25days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Colonial Bank of Australia Incorporation Bill Committee No.13 | 19 Oct 1860 | 9 Nov 1860 | 22days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
| Public Prisons in Sydney and Cumberland Committee No.14 | 23 Oct 1860 | 9 Nov 1860 | 18days | 3rd (1859 - 1860) | |
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Qualifications, occupations and interests
Retired public servant. Educated at non-Catholic schools, then Trinity College, Dublin (BA 1823). Called to Irish Bar 1826, later to England Bar; prominent lawyer on Connaught circuit 1826-1832; active supporter and associate of Daniel O'Connell; Given post of Solicitor-General for New South Wales, through influence of his kinsman, Lord Fingall, and O'Connell; Arrived in Sydney in June Promoted to Attorney-General 1836, retaining position until 1856 when retired on pension. Member Executive Council 1843-1856. Chairman National Schools Board 1848-1858. Original member of the Senate, University of Sydney, 1850-1869; vice chancellor 1865-1867. Prominent in drafting and administration of 1836 Church Act; prosecuted Europeans with determination after Myall Creek massacre 1838; on select committee which drafted a new constitution of 1853. At odds with Roman Catholic authorities over National education system until 1860s, but leading Roman Catholic layman. A founder and treasurer of St Vincent's Hospital; founding fellow St John's College, University of Sydney, 1858; lay secretary of second Provincial Synod, Melbourne, 1869. In later years lived in Melbourne, commuting to Sydney. Author of The Australian Magistrate; a Guide to the Duties of a Justice of the Peace, 1835; The Magistrate's Pocket Book, 1859; On the Evidence of Accomplices, 1863.
Honours Received
Appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 1832
Personal
Son of George, farmer connected with Irish Catholic aristocracy, and Eileen O'Kelly. Married Maria Charlotte McDonougha in London, England c. 1831 and had no issue.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2
John N. Moloney, An Architect of Freedom: John Hubert PLunkett in New South Wales 1832 - 1869, 1973
Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South Wales', Sydney, 1995
| John Hubert Plunkett was born in June 1802 in County Roscommon, Ireland. He married Maria McDonougha in 1831. They had no children. Champion of the Catholic emancipation movement, Plunkett was called to the Irish Bar in 1826, where he established a successful career as a barrister. Although appointed SolicitorGeneral of New South Wales in 1831 he did not take up the appointment until his arrival in the colony the following year. This marked the first appointment of a Catholic to a high civil office within the colony. By 1833 Plunkett was forced to relieve the deaf Attorney General, John Kinchela, of all court work and in 1836 he was officially appointed to succeed Kinchela. Plunkett led the way in colonial legal reform emphasising the importance of religions and civil equality. His zealous pursuit of equality led the British authorities to confer with Plunkett over the 1842 Act for better government of the colonies.
Plunkett was an appointed Member of the old Legislative Council from 1836 until 1841. During that time he was instrumental in creating a draft for the Church Act of 1836 which established equality amongst Anglicans, Catholics, Presbyterians and later Methodists. He also played an influential role in drafting the Market Commissioners' Act of 1837 which later saw the creation of the first representative body in New South Wales. Plunkett was appointed a nominee member of the reconstituted Legislative Council from 1843 until responsible. government was granted in 1856. Although at that time he successfully contested two Legislative Assembly seats, he resigned as the Member for Bathurst (County) choosing instead to represent Argyle. He held that seat until 1857 when he entered the new upper house. From 1857 until 1858 Plunkett was President of the Legislative Council before returning to the Assembly as the Member for Cumberland in 1858 and Western Sydney in 1859. Although he held the view that the Presidency should be a ministerial office, it failed to become a political appointment and remained an office of the legislature. Plunkett died in Melbourne on 9 May 1869.
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