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The Reverend John Dunmore LANG, MA, DD (1799 - 1878)

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Date of Birth: 25/08/1799
Place of Birth: Greenock, Scotland
Date of Death: 08/08/1878
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Town Hall Committee No.16 10 Nov 1869 13 Nov 1869 4 days
Mr Thomas Scott – Sugar Cultivation Committee No.12 26 Oct 1869 13 Nov 1869 19 days
Library Committee No.2 29 Sep 1869 13 Nov 1869 1 month 16 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 28 Sep 1869 28 Sep 1869 1 day
Sydney Boundaries Amendment Bill Committee No:15 12 Feb 1869 16 Mar 1869 1 month 5 days
Mr Thomas Scott – Sugar Cultivation Committee No.14 10 Feb 1869 24 Mar 1869 1 month 15 days Chairman
Library Committee No.3 15 Dec 1868 03 Feb 1869 1 month 20 days
Address to Her Majesty in reference to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh Committee No.26 20 Apr 1868 20 Apr 1868 1 day
Reverend James White Committee No.22 16 Mar 1868 07 Apr 1868 23 days
Sydney Common Improvement Act Amendment Bill Committee No.23 16 Mar 1868 18 Mar 1868 3 days
Petititon of Mr Thomas Smith Committee No.15 08 Nov 1867 03 Apr 1868 4 months 27 days
Shipwrecks and Loss of Life on the Coast Committee No.10. 03 Sep 1867 18 Dec 1867 3 months 16 days
Railway from Echuca to Deniliquin Committee No.6 02 Jul 1867 27 Apr 1868 9 months 26 days Chairman
St Andrew’s Cathedral Close Bill Committee No.8 02 Jul 1867 27 Apr 1868 9 months 26 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 02 Jul 1867 02 Jul 1867 1 day
Sydney Common Improvement Bill Committee No.23 06 Dec 1866 13 Dec 1866 8 days
Shoalhaven Municipality Committee No.22 27 Nov 1866 21 Dec 1866 25 days
Alleged Irregularity in Registration of a Deed Committee No.17 31 Oct 1866 08 Nov 1866 9 days Chairman
Presbyterian College Bill Committee No.18 31 Oct 1866 08 Nov 1866 9 days Chairman
Railway from Echuca to Deniliquin Committee No.10 21 Sep 1866 20 Dec 1866 3 months Chairman
Library Committee No.2 25 Jul 1866 18 Mar 1867 7 months 22 days
Reserves under Crown Lands Alienation Act Committee No.15 23 Feb 1866 04 Apr 1866 1 month 13 days
Exchange of Land Scots Church, Sydney, Legalizing Bill Committee No.13 15 Dec 1865 23 Feb 1866 2 months 9 days
Clarence and New England Steam Navigation Company’s Bill Committee No.9 14 Nov 1865 12 Dec 1865 29 days
Library Committee No.2 25 Oct 1865 07 Apr 1866 5 months 14 days
Sydney Sewerage Committee No.17 16 May 1865 21 Jun 1865 1 month 6 days
Railway through Ultimo Estate No.10 31 Mar 1865 09 Jun 1865 2 months 10 days
Presbyterian Church Bill Committee No.7 14 Mar 1865 24 Mar 1865 11 days
Library Committee No.5 08 Mar 1865 21 Jun 1865 3 months 14 days
Member for West Sydney 24 Nov 1864 15 Nov 1869 4 years 11 months 23 days
Library Committee No.3 19 Oct 1864 09 Nov 1864 22 days
Sydney Water Reserves Committee No.31 02 Feb 1864 21 Apr 1864 2 months 20 days
Exchange of Land, Scots Church, Jamison street, Legalizing Bill Committee No.16 04 Sep 1863 01 Apr 1864 6 months 29 days
Mr John Busby Committee No.18 04 Sep 1863 24 Feb 1864 5 months 21 days
Presbyterian College Bill Committee No.15 04 Sep 1863 06 Oct 1863 1 month 3 days Chairman
Penal, Reformatory, and Charitable Establishments Committee No.8 08 Jul 1863 22 Apr 1864 9 months 15 days
Library Committee No.3 24 Jun 1863 31 Mar 1864 9 months 8 days
Sydney Water Reserves Committee No.40 21 Oct 1862 20 Dec 1862 2 months
Pawnbrokers Bill Committee No.35 03 Oct 1862 20 Dec 1862 2 months 18 days
Town Hall Site Exchange Bill Committee No.33 30 Sep 1862 15 Oct 1862 16 days
Exchange of Land, Scots Church, Jamison-street, legalizing Bill Committee No.24 12 Aug 1862 14 Nov 1862 3 months 3 days Chairman
Presbyterian College Bill Committee No.25 12 Aug 1862 18 Nov 1862 3 months 7 days Chairman
Field of Mars Common Committee No.5 03 Jun 1862 26 Sep 1862 3 months 24 days
Library Committee No.3 28 May 1862 01 Aug 1862 2 months 5 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 27 May 1862 27 May 1862 1 day Chairman
Field of Mars Common Committee No.22 31 Dec 1861 20 Jan 1862 21 days
Presbyterian Church Temporalities Act of 1837 Committee No.17 01 Nov 1861 20 Jan 1862 2 months 20 days
Library Committee No.3 04 Sep 1861 20 Jan 1862 4 months 17 days
Member for West Sydney 12 Dec 1860 10 Nov 1864 3 years 10 months 30 days
Petition of Mr James Boyle Committee No.17 06 Nov 1860 09 Nov 1860 4 days
Public Prisons in Sydney and Cumberland Committee No.14 23 Oct 1860 09 Nov 1860 18 days
Moreton Bay Immigration and Land Company’s Act Amendment Bill Committee No.10 12 Oct 1860 09 Nov 1860 29 days
Petition of Mr Alexander Berry Committee No.9 12 Oct 1860 09 Nov 1860 29 days
Federation of the Australian Colonies Committee No.5 28 Sep 1860 09 Nov 1860 1 month 13 days Chairman
Library Committee No.3 27 Sep 1860 09 Nov 1860 1 month 14 days
Petition of Mr N.L Kentish Committee No.4 27 Sep 1860 09 Nov 1860 1 month 14 days
Governor General’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 25 Sep 1860 25 Sep 1860 1 day
Fitz Roy Dry Dock Committee No.40 10 Apr 1860 04 Jul 1860 2 months 25 days
Federation of the Australian Colonies Committee No.38 03 Apr 1860 04 Jul 1860 3 months 2 days Chairman
Moreton Bay Immigration and Land Company’s Act Amendment Bill Committee No.39 03 Apr 1860 04 Jul 1860 3 months 2 days
Dean of St Andrew’s Sydney Committee No.36 17 Feb 1860 04 Jul 1860 4 months 18 days
Petition of Alexander Berry, Esquire, Committee No.30 03 Feb 1860 04 Jul 1860 5 months 2 days
Grievances Committee No.26 06 Dec 1859 04 Jul 1860 6 months 29 days
St Andrew’s College Bill Committee No.24 14 Oct 1859 04 Jul 1860 8 months 21 days
Condition of the Working Classes of the Metropolis Committee No.19 30 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 9 months 5 days
Case of James Hibburd Committee No.16 23 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 9 months 12 days
Church and School Lands Committee No.15 23 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 9 months 12 days
Secondary Punishment Committee No.8 14 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 9 months 21 days
Sydney Grammar School Committee No.6 13 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 9 months 22 days
University of Sydney Committee No.5 13 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 9 months 22 days
Library Committee No.3 01 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 10 months 4 days
Member for West Sydney 14 Jun 1859 10 Nov 1860 1 year 4 months 28 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 14 Jun 1859 15 Nov 1869 10 years 5 months 2 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 01 Aug 1854 29 Feb 1856 1 year 7 months An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the County of Stanley
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 01 Sep 1851 01 Oct 1851 1 month 1 day An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the City of Sydney
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 01 Jul 1850 30 Jun 1851 1 year An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the City of Sydney
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 01 Jun 1843 01 Nov 1847 4 years 5 months 1 day An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the District of Port Phillip; seat vacated by absence
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Clergyman. Educated for Ministry at Largs Parish School and University of Glasgow, where he won many scholarships and prizes (MA 1820 and DD 1825). Arrived in Sydney in May 1823 as the first Presbyterian Minister in New South Wales. Founded Scots Church in Sydney where he was Minister from 1826 until 1878, although stripped of executive functions. Founder and principal of Australian College 1831 until 1854. Started weekly paper in 1834. Encouraged Protestant immigration. Sponsor of Moreton Bay and Port Phillip separation movements. Strong opponent of transportation. Leading republican in early 1850s. A leader of radical movement 1840s to early 1860s. Struggled for better schools. Advocated home rule for Ireland and attacked Roman Catholicism.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of William Lang, small landowner and ships joiner and Mary Lang. Married Wilhelmina Mackie in 1831 and had issue, 10 children. Presbyterian.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2 Archibald Gilchrist and Gordon Powell (editors), John Dunmore Lang : Australia's pioneer republican : his life and times, chiefly in his own words, 1999 D.W.A. Baker, Days of Wrath : a life of John Dunmore Lang, 1985 D.W.A. Baker, Preacher, politician, patriot : a life of John Dunmore Lang, 1998 [This is an abridgement for a wider readership of Baker's Days of Wrath, 1985] A biography is on the 'Electric Scotland' Website: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/australia/lang_john.htm Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: 1. Reverend John Dunmore Lang - papers, 1823 - ca.1892 (MLMSS 268); photographs in the PICMAN Database.2. Reverend John Dunmore Lang - papers, 1825 - 1859

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.