Date of Birth: 27/02/1822
Place of Birth: Bermondsey, London, England
Date of Death: 11/04/1898
Place of Death: Bundanoon, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Report of Examiner of Coal Fields on Land held by Messrs Garrett and Greville Committee No.26 |
04 Aug 1876 |
17 Aug 1876 |
14 days |
|
| Bathurst Hospital Bill Committee No.19 |
15 Mar 1876 |
18 Mar 1876 |
4 days |
|
| Goulburn Cattle Sale Yards Bill Committee No.11 |
27 Apr 1875 |
06 May 1875 |
10 days |
|
| The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 |
28 Jan 1875 |
28 Jan 1875 |
1 day |
|
| Member for East Macquarie |
05 Jan 1875 |
12 Oct 1877 |
2 years 9 months 8 days |
|
| Anvil Creek Coal Mining Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.28 |
11 Mar 1874 |
17 Mar 1874 |
7 days |
|
| Sydney United Omnibus Company’s Tramways Bill Committee No.17 |
19 Nov 1873 |
25 Jun 1874 |
7 months 7 days |
|
| Payment of Duty on Tobacco Committee No.15 |
04 Nov 1873 |
12 Dec 1873 |
1 month 9 days |
|
| Petition of James Twaddell Committee No.28 |
04 Mar 1873 |
17 Mar 1873 |
14 days |
|
| Member for West Sydney |
15 Feb 1872 |
28 Nov 1874 |
2 years 9 months 14 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly |
15 Feb 1872 |
12 Oct 1877 |
5 years 7 months 28 days |
|
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Shipbuilder; timber merchant. Learnt the shipbuilding trade at Kincumber on Brisbane Water, under Jonathon Piper and turned master builder in 1846. Moved to Balmain around 1854, following the shipbuilding trade. Opened sawmills at Balmain and on the Manning River; by 1870 both the Balmain mill and Sussex Street yards had 60 employees. That year temporarily retired and went to England, leasing his business to Taylor, Kethel and Preddy. In 1874 the mills were destroyed by fire and were only partially insured. These were rebuilt and by 1885, John Booth and Co. Ltd had doubled its number of employees. Owned houses in Balmain, a property at Cooma and 500 acres at Bundanoon. In May 1874 he was examined by the select committtee on wharf accommodation for the Port of Sydney.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
First Mayor of Balmain 1867. Was active in local government and other civic affairs.
Personal
Son of Henry Booth, corn-factor (mother's name unknown). Married Susannah Wetherall in 1850 and had issue, 4 sons and 7 daughters. His eldest child, Emily Ann Booth, married Norman Selfe (1839 - 1911), the famous engineer and educationist, in 1872. Went to sea in 1833 and arrived in Sydney 1839 in the barque Rajah.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3
