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Former Member Details

Sir William John MACLEAY (1820 - 1891)

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Date of Birth: 13/06/1820
Place of Birth: Wick, Caithness, Scotland
Date of Death: 07/12/1891
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 27 Nov 1877 07 Dec 1891 14 years 11 days Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 29 October 1877
Administration of the Land Law Committee No.9 17 Nov 1874 26 Nov 1874 10 days
Refreshment Room No.4 04 Nov 1874 17 Nov 1874 14 days
The Sydney Museum Committee No.27 24 Feb 1874 18 May 1874 2 months 25 days
Macquarie-street Roman Catholic School Site Sale Bill Committee No.22 16 Jan 1874 22 Jan 1874 7 days
Payment of Duty on Tobacco Committee No.15 04 Nov 1873 12 Dec 1873 1 month 9 days
Administration of the Land Law Committee No.5 12 Sep 1873 24 Jun 1874 9 months 13 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 10 Sep 1873 25 Jun 1874 9 months 16 days
Deniliquin and Moama Railway Bill Committee No.29 12 Mar 1873 28 Mar 1873 17 days
Customs Seizure of Goods at Mulwala Committee No.26 14 Feb 1873 23 Apr 1873 2 months 10 days
Administration of the Land Law Committee No.16 17 Dec 1872 24 Apr 1873 4 months 8 days
Telegraphic Communication Committee No.17 17 Dec 1872 24 Apr 1873 4 months 8 days
The Civil Service Committee No.6 12 Nov 1872 05 Mar 1873 3 months 22 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.5 06 Nov 1872 05 Mar 1873 4 months
The Civil Service Committee No.16 30 Jul 1872 02 Aug 1872 4 days
Administration of the Land Law Committee No.14 05 Jul 1872 06 Aug 1872 1 month 2 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.5 12 Jun 1872 13 Aug 1872 2 months 2 days
Member for Murrumbidgee 07 Mar 1872 28 Nov 1874 2 years 8 months 22 days
The Civil Service Committee No.6 21 Nov 1871 01 Feb 1872 2 months 12 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 15 Nov 1871 01 Feb 1872 2 months 18 days
Yass Roman Catholic Church Land Bill Committee No.20 18 Apr 1871 22 Jun 1871 2 months 5 days
Claims of Mr Spencer, of Gundagai Committee No.13 09 Dec 1870 22 Jun 1871 6 months 14 days Chairman
Claims of Mr Bartholomew Rush Committee No.7 25 Aug 1870 23 Sep 1870 30 days
Claims of Bartholomew Rush Committee No.24 12 Apr 1870 07 May 1870 26 days
Oyster Fisheries Committee No.17 15 Mar 1870 07 May 1870 1 month 23 days
Railway Extension Committee No.5 03 Feb 1870 25 Mar 1870 1 month 23 days Chairman
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.7 02 Feb 1870 09 Mar 1870 1 month 8 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 02 Feb 1870 07 May 1870 3 months 6 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 01 Feb 1870 01 Feb 1870 1 day
Member for Murrumbidgee 09 Dec 1869 03 Feb 1872 2 years 1 month 26 days
Railway Extension Committee No.15 28 Oct 1869 11 Nov 1869 15 days Chairman
Claims of Mr Bartholomew Rush Committee No.8 08 Oct 1869 13 Nov 1869 1 month 6 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 05 Oct 1869 13 Nov 1869 1 month 9 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 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
Removal of Mr Samuel Charles from the Commission of the Peace Committee No.12 27 Jan 1869 23 Mar 1869 1 month 25 days
Alleged Conspiracy for purposes of Treason and Assassination Committee No.3 15 Dec 1868 03 Feb 1869 1 month 20 days Chairman
Refreshment Room Committee No.6 15 Dec 1868 24 Mar 1869 3 months 10 days
Removal of Mr Samuel Charles from the Commission of the Peace Committee No. 25 09 Apr 1868 24 Apr 1868 16 days
Claims of Mr Bartholomew Rush Committee No.17 22 Nov 1867 01 Apr 1868 4 months 11 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 03 Jul 1867 27 Apr 1868 9 months 25 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 02 Jul 1867 27 Apr 1868 9 months 26 days
Oyster Fisheries Protection Bill Committee No.7+ 02 Jul 1867 27 Apr 1868 9 months 26 days
Fisheries Act Amendment Bill Committee No.20 02 Nov 1866 02 Dec 1866 1 month 1 day
Proposed Electoral Alterations Committee No.12 25 Sep 1866 13 Dec 1866 2 months 19 days
Hartley Kerosene Oil and Paraffine Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.9 04 Sep 1866 25 Sep 1866 22 days
Disease in Fruit Trees Committee No.5 31 Jul 1866 13 Sep 1866 1 month 14 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.7 26 Jul 1866 22 Dec 1866 4 months 27 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 24 Jul 1866 24 Jul 1866 1 day
Proposed Amendments in Electoral Act of 1858 Committee No.17 09 Mar 1866 04 Apr 1866 27 days
Present State of the Colony Committee No.7 07 Nov 1865 28 Mar 1865 0 days
Disease in Fruit Trees Committee No.6 31 Oct 1865 07 Apr 1866 5 months 8 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 25 Oct 1865 07 Apr 1866 5 months 14 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.5 24 Oct 1865 07 Apr 1866 5 months 15 days
Refreshment Room Committee No.4 25 Jul 1865 18 Mar 1867 1 year 7 months 22 days
Coal Wharf, Newcastle Committee No.21 15 Jun 1865 21 Jun 1865 7 days
Mrs Callaghan Committee No.19 19 May 1865 15 Jun 1865 28 days
Harbour Defences Committee No.13 02 May 1865 08 Jun 1865 1 month 7 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 31 Jan 1865 31 Mar 1865 2 months 1 day
Member for Murrumbidgee 10 Dec 1864 15 Nov 1869 4 years 11 months 6 days
Bank of New South Wales Incorporation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.32 05 Dec 1864 12 Feb 1864 0 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.4 20 Oct 1864 09 Nov 1864 21 days
Cox’s Marriage Settlement Bill Committee No.29 01 Dec 1863 16 Dec 1863 16 days
Reservations upon Runs in Tumut District Committee No.25 29 Sep 1863 11 Mar 1864 5 months 12 days
Harbour Defences Committee No.6 01 Jul 1863 20 Oct 1863 3 months 20 days Chairman
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.7 25 Jun 1863 10 Sep 1863 2 months 17 days
Pacific Fire and Marine Insurance Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.39 21 Oct 1862 24 Oct 1862 4 days
Gibson’s Estate Bill Committee No.27 02 Sep 1862 04 Sep 1862 3 days
Morehead and Young’s Railway Bill Committee No.28 02 Sep 1862 15 Oct 1862 1 month 14 days
State of Manufactures and Agriculture in the Colony Committee No.26 02 Sep 1862 12 Dec 1862 3 months 11 days
Mr Charles Phillips Lawrence Committee No.19 05 Aug 1862 29 Oct 1862 2 months 25 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 29 May 1862 17 Jun 1862 20 days
Wagga Wagga Bridge Company’s Bill Committee No.7 27 Sep 1861 20 Jan 1862 3 months 25 days Chairman
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.4 06 Sep 1861 20 Jan 1862 4 months 15 days
Wahgunyah Murray Bridge Company’s Bill Committee No.21 19 Feb 1861 11 May 1861 2 months 23 days
Petition of Mr N.L Kentish Committee No.7 23 Jan 1861 11 May 1861 3 months 19 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.9 16 Jan 1861 11 May 1861 3 months 26 days
Member for Murrumbidgee 05 Dec 1860 10 Nov 1864 3 years 11 months 6 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.7 28 Sep 1860 09 Nov 1860 1 month 13 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
Case of Charles Wentworth Bucknell Committee No.17 23 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 9 months 12 days
Dismissal of Mr F.Gorton Committee No.9 14 Sep 1859 04 Jul 1860 9 months 21 days
Member for Murrumbidgee 10 Jun 1859 07 Jul 1859 28 days
Navigation of the Murray, & c. Committee No.8 13 Apr 1858 26 Nov 1858 7 months 14 days
Member for Lachlan and Lower Darling 25 Jan 1858 11 Apr 1859 1 year 2 months 18 days
Masters’ and Servants’ Acts Constitution Bill Committee No.8 13 Aug 1856 18 Mar 1857 7 months 6 days
Member for Lachlan and Lower Darling 19 Apr 1856 19 Dec 1857 1 year 8 months 1 day
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 19 Apr 1856 28 Nov 1874 18 years 7 months 10 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 01 Mar 1855 29 Feb 1856 1 year 1 day An Elective Member of the first Legislative Council 1843 - 1856 for the Pastoral Districts of Lachlan and Lower Darling
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1841. On the Board of the National School, Wagga Wagga.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Pastoralist. Educated at Edinburgh Academy and studied Medicine at University of Edinburgh 1834 until 1836. Arrived in Sydney in 1839. Had vineyard near Wagga Wagga in 1870s. Founder of Murrumbidgee Turf Club in 1852. Trustee of Free Public Entomological Society of New South Wales in 1862. Patron of science. Trustee of Australian Museum. Founder of Union Club of 1856. Freemason.
Military Service
Captain of the Sydney Volunteer Artillery 1861 until 1866.
Honours Received
Knighted in 1889.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Kenneth Macleay and Barbara Horne. Married Susan Emmeline Thomson, daughter of Edward Deas Thomson, in 1857 and had no issue. Church of England.
Additional Information
Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Sir William Macleay - papers, 1856 - 1894 (MLMSS 565)

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.