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Member Details

Mr Thomas COLLS (1822 - 1898)

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Date of Birth: 01/01/1822
Place of Birth: Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 02/03/1898
Place of Death: Yass, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Refreshment Committee No.5 23 Jan 1894 11 Jun 1894 4 months 20 days
Mr Walsh’s Contract for Construction of Cooper’s Creek Bridge Committee No.11 21 Nov 1893 08 Dec 1893 18 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 27 Sep 1893 08 Dec 1893 2 months 12 days
Claim of James Guihen, of Broger’s Creek Committee No.28 07 Jun 1893 13 Jun 1893 7 days
Calaghan’s Conditional Purchases, Braidwood and Queanbeyan Committee No.22 01 Mar 1893 02 Mar 1893 2 days
Refreshment Committee No.7 05 Oct 1892 18 Oct 1892 14 days
Conditional Purchase by James Young, at Gosford Committee No.30 21 Dec 1891 04 Feb 1892 1 month 15 days
Goulburn Water Supply Charges Bill Committee No.25 01 Dec 1891 15 Dec 1891 15 days
Member for Yass Plains 24 Jun 1891 25 Jun 1894 3 years 2 days
Forfeiture of Henry Crowe’s Conditional Purchase, county of Harden Committee No.39 04 Nov 1890 12 Dec 1890 1 month 9 days
Calaghan’s Conditional Purchases, Braidwood and Queanbeyan Committee No.32 09 Sep 1890 30 Oct 1890 1 month 22 days
West Wallsend Coal Company (Limited) Bill Committee No.28 12 Sep 1889 24 Sep 1889 13 days
Member for Yass Plains 28 Jan 1889 06 Jun 1891 2 years 4 months 10 days
Cooma Church of England Land Sale Bill Committee No.61 21 Jun 1888 27 Jun 1888 7 days
Goulburn and Tuena Tramway Bill Committee No.58 07 Jun 1888 19 Jun 1888 13 days
Broken Hill and Suburban Gas Company’s Bill Committee No.52 10 Apr 1888 03 May 1888 24 days
Parramatta Municipal Quarries Bill Committee No.47 01 Mar 1888 22 Mar 1888 22 days
Parramatta, Church street, Amended Alignment Bill Committee No.48 01 Mar 1888 22 Mar 1888 22 days
Oakey Park Coal mining Company’s Railway Bill Committee No.42 10 Feb 1888 27 Mar 1888 1 month 18 days
Saint Saviour’s Glebe Land Leasing Bill Committee No.40 22 Dec 1887 01 Mar 1888 2 months 9 days Chairman
Victorian Coal-mining Company’s Extension Bill Committee No.32 29 Nov 1887 01 Dec 1887 3 days
Leichhardt Council Chambers (Mortgage) Bill Committee No.23 08 Nov 1887 15 Nov 1887 8 days
Trustees of Presbyterian Cemetery at Maclean Committee No.21 13 Oct 1887 26 Oct 1887 14 days
Yass Roman Catholic Church Land Sale Bill Committee No.19 13 Oct 1887 26 Oct 1887 14 days
Claims of John Gallagher Committee No.21 17 May 1887 05 Jul 1887 1 month 19 days
Claim of Cornelius Grady Committee No.18 29 Apr 1887 05 Jul 1887 2 months 7 days
Member for Yass Plains 19 Feb 1887 09 Jan 1889 1 year 10 months 22 days
Member for Yass Plains 20 Dec 1886 26 Jan 1887 1 month 7 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 20 Dec 1886 25 Jun 1894 7 years 6 months 6 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace. Committee member and Trustee, Yass Hospital. Founding member, Mechanics' Institute and Agricultural and Horticultural Society. President and Trustee, Pastoral and Agricultural Association. Warden, St Clement's Church of England where he was responsible for many improvements. Member of the Aborigines' Protection Board, (appointed 11 November 1891).
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Wheelwright and blacksmith. Educated at Thomas Hammond's boarding school, near Campbelltown. After finishing his education, he was apprenticed to George Graham, a wheelwright, at Liverpool, for eight years. Became a foreman for a year and then established his own business. Moved to Yass in 1847, where he set up as a wheelwright, blacksmith and farrier. In 1848, he transferred the business to his brother and bought the Commercial Hotel. He retired around 1873. Moved to Melbourne and then Albury for two years, where he bought the Globe Hotel. Returned to Yass where he had hotels, shops, houses and land.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman for Yass from 1880 - 1897 and Mayor four times.
Personal
Son of Thomas Colls and his wife Sarah Perkins, a widow (born Burgess). Married (1) Elizabeth Clegg in 1842 in Liverpool and they had 6 sons and 4 daughters; one daughter and two of the sons died in infancy. Married (2) Minnie Linsley in 1894 in Sydney. Church of England. One of his sons, Charles Colls, married Mary Ann Abigail, the daughter of Francis Abigail, who was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Additional Information
References: Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3.

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.