Parliamentary activity
Information about members' parliamentary service including their positions held and biography.
Positions
| Position | Start | End | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennett’s Railway Bill Committee No.34 | Wed 21 April 1886 | Fri 28 May 1886 | 1 month 8 days | |
| Bell’s Estate Bill Committee No.23 | Tue 30 March 1886 | Wed 26 May 1886 | 1 month 27 days | |
| Refreshment Committee No.5 | Thu 03 December 1885 | Mon 25 October 1886 | 10 months 23 days | |
| Member for Bourke | Mon 26 October 1885 | Thu 02 December 1886 | 1 year 1 month 7 days | |
| The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 | Tue 17 March 1885 | Tue 17 March 1885 | 1 day | |
| Manly Gaslight and Coke Company’s Bill Committee No.33 | Thu 07 February 1884 | Tue 11 March 1884 | 1 month 5 days | |
| Member for Bourke | Tue 19 December 1882 | Wed 07 October 1885 | 2 years 9 months 19 days | |
| The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 | Tue 22 August 1882 | Tue 22 August 1882 | 1 day | |
| Royal Society of New South Wales Incorporation Bill Committee No.19 | Fri 16 September 1881 | Tue 27 September 1881 | 12 days | |
| Institute of Surveyors Incorporation Bill Committee No.17 | Tue 06 September 1881 | Tue 11 October 1881 | 1 month 6 days | |
| Width of Streets and Lanes Bill Committee No.14 | Fri 26 August 1881 | Fri 21 October 1881 | 1 month 26 days | |
| Osborne’s Leasing Bill Committee No.10 | Fri 15 July 1881 | Fri 05 August 1881 | 22 days | |
| Osborne’s Leasing Bill Committee No.18 | Tue 22 March 1881 | Wed 06 April 1881 | 16 days | |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly | Tue 30 November 1880 | Thu 02 December 1886 | 6 years 3 days | |
| Member for Bourke | Tue 30 November 1880 | Thu 23 November 1882 | 1 year 11 months 27 days |
Biography
Political party activity
Royal Commissioner on the Conservation of Water in 1884.
Personal information
Eldest son of Edmund Russell, grazier, and his wife Sophia Russell. Emigrated to Adelaide, South Australia, with his family in 1839. Married Jane McCulloch Davey in 1855 and had issue, 11 children.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Miner and pastoralist. At age nine worked on a cattle station for a year and from the age of 11 to 14 worked on a sheep station. From the age of 14 to 17, worked as a carrier for the Burra Burra copper mine and overlanded cattle for the mine between Adelaide and New South Wales. From 1851 to 1853 prospected on the Victorian goldfields and then returned to Adelaide where he bought 250 acres of land near the city. A fire in 1855 burnt out all property. Returning to South Australia managed Tallin station and Tarcoon and Mooculta stations on the Bogan River in New South Wales to which he overlanded 10,000 sheep. Organized travelling wool-scouring plants and had business ventures in fellmongery, butchering and soap-making. He bought Mooculta station in 1868 and subsequently bought Briningabba and Willara with his brother. In the 1870's speculated in mining and by 1883 was the Chairman of the the Great Cobar Copper Mining Company which employed around 1500 people. Directed 14 other mining companies and was chairman of 11 of them.
Diversified investments into insurance and pastoral finance, becoming the Director of the Mercantile Mutual Insurance Company, British and Foreign Insurance Company and Managing Director of the Pastoral Finance Association Limited.
Additional information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7. Biography and portrait in ‘Australian Men of Mark’, Volume 1. Sydney, [?1889] , page 225.