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Member Details

Mr William Frederick FOSTER (1865 - 1936)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 29/08/1865
Place of Birth: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Date of Death: 21/07/1936
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member for Vaucluse 18 Apr 1935 21 Jul 1936 1 year 3 months 4 days
Member for Vaucluse 25 May 1932 12 Apr 1935 2 years 10 months 19 days
Member for Vaucluse 25 Oct 1930 18 May 1932 1 year 6 months 24 days
Member for Vaucluse 08 Oct 1927 18 Sep 1930 2 years 11 months 11 days
Member for Eastern Suburbs 30 May 1925 07 Sep 1927 2 years 3 months 9 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 30 May 1925 21 Jul 1936 11 years 1 month 22 days
Political Party Activity
Nationalist Party and United Australia Party. Critic of Stevens government over transport policy.
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Building contractor. Moved with family to Sydney; worked in office of G.H Royce and Company; bridge builders and civil engineers from 1882 until 1883; left to work as a builder for his father and brother and became a partner with them; started a business alone in 1891; executive member of Master Builders' Association from 1914 until 1921, vice president from 1916 until 1917, president in 1918, member of Two Wages Boards; executive member of Employers Federation in 1918; member of Soldiers Vocational Training committee, of Soldiers Settlement committee and of Technological Museum Advisory committee; chairman of Building Trades Rehabilitation committee, resigned in January 1933; examiner of Sydney Technical College in 1917; member of Bourke Street Wesleyan Debating Society; vice president of Centenary Hall Debating Society; Freemason.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman at Woollahra from 1920 until 1936. Mayor from 1923 until 1924
Personal
Son of William Foster, builder, and Rebecca Harwood, English migrants. Married Ada Brees in 1892 and had issue, 2 sons. Methodist. Collapsed in Parliament and later died. Funeral at South Head cemetery from Rose Bay Methodist church.
Additional Information
Died in the Legislative Assembly Chamber. SEE 'New South Wales Parliamentary Debates' (Hansard), 21 July 1936 (page 5574)

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.