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Former Member Details

Mr Robert Thomas DONALDSON (1851 - 1936)

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Date of Birth: 01/01/1851
Place of Birth: Westmeath, Ofally, Ireland
Date of Death: 05/08/1936
Place of Death: Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member for Wynyard 14 Oct 1910 06 Nov 1913 3 years 24 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 28 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 24 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 14 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5 months 4 days
Great Northern Coal Company’s Railway Bill Committee No.7 08 Sep 1908 30 Sep 1908 23 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 05 Aug 1908 19 Dec 1908 4 months 15 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 13 Mar 1908 11 Apr 1908 30 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 24 Oct 1907 20 Dec 1907 1 month 27 days
Member for Wynyard 10 Sep 1907 14 Sep 1910 3 years 5 days
Library Committee No.3 09 Jul 1907 12 Jul 1907 4 days
Printing Committee No.6 09 Jul 1907 11 Jul 1907 3 days
Library Committee No.2 10 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 9 days
Printing Committee No.5 10 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 9 days
Allegation by the Rev. W.Woolls Rutledge respecting an appointment to the Public Service Committee No.15 29 Aug 1905 25 Oct 1905 1 month 27 days
Diocese of Goulburn Church Land Sale Bill Committee No.13 23 Aug 1905 05 Sep 1905 14 days
Printing Committee No.6 28 Jun 1905 08 Dec 1905 5 months 11 days
Government Savings Bill Committee No.13 02 Dec 1904 06 Dec 1904 5 days
Coraki Roman Catholic Church Trustees Enabling Bill Committee No.12 29 Nov 1904 06 Dec 1904 8 days
Coraki Roman Catholic Church Trustees Enabling Bill Committee No.12 29 Nov 1904 06 Dec 1904 8 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 24 Aug 1904 24 Aug 1904 1 day
Member for Wynyard 06 Aug 1904 19 Aug 1907 3 years 14 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 28 May 1902 28 May 1902 1 day
Member for Tumut 03 Jul 1901 16 Jul 1904 3 years 14 days
Printing Committee No. 6 20 Jun 1900 04 Dec 1900 5 months 15 days
Tamworth Showground Bill Committee No.15 26 Oct 1899 23 Dec 1899 1 month 28 days
Printing Committee No.7 02 Aug 1899 10 Oct 1899 2 months 9 days
Member for Tumut 27 Jul 1898 11 Jun 1901 2 years 10 months 16 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 27 Jul 1898 06 Nov 1913 15 years 3 months 11 days
Political Party Activity
Stood as an Independent. Supported progression. Stood as an Independent Liberal in 1910.
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Prospector, ganger and construction supervisor. Arrived in Australia with family c. 1863. Worked as a station hand, prospected and explored in Northern and Central Queensland. Visited Britain in 1878. On return to Queensland became an inspector of railway construction. Travelled to New South Wales where he became a contractors manager for McSharry & Co. on the Cootamundra-Gundagai railway line in 1883. Settled in Tumut where he purchased a butcher's business. Inspector of Aborigines 1915 - 1929. Member of the Board for the Protection of Aborigines 1904 - 1915. Member of the Fisheries Board from 1906; member of the Farmers and Settlers Association 1900.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman and Mayor of Tumut 1897 - 1898. Mayor several times.
Personal
Son of Thomas Willett Donaldson, farmer, and Barbara Shafgotch. Married Edith Meek on 25 July 1882 in Sydney and had issue, 1daughter and 4 sons. Roman Catholic. Woronora crematorium with Church of England rites.
Additional Information

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.