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Member Details

Mr William TUNKS (1816 - 1883)

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Date of Birth: 08/04/1816
Place of Birth: Nepean, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 12/04/1883
Place of Death: St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Administration of the Land Law Committee No.9 17 Nov 1874 26 Nov 1874 10 days
Newtown Omnibus Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.24 20 Jan 1874 30 Jan 1874 11 days
Sydney and Suburban Streets Tramways Bill Committee No.18 21 Nov 1873 19 Dec 1873 29 days
Sydney United Omnibus Company’s Tramways Bill Committee No.17 19 Nov 1873 25 Jun 1874 7 months 7 days
Mercantile Bank of Sydney Bill Committee No.9 01 Oct 1873 08 Oct 1873 8 days
Working of Municipalities Committee No.7 19 Sep 1873 22 Apr 1874 7 months 4 days
Administration of the Land Law Committee No.5 12 Sep 1873 24 Jun 1874 9 months 13 days
Transfer of Publicans’ and other License Fees to Municipalities Committee No.31 25 Mar 1873 25 Apr 1873 1 month 1 day
Fire Brigades Bill Committee No.25 14 Feb 1873 25 Apr 1873 2 months 12 days
Claim of Mr Stephen Scholey Committee No.20 04 Feb 1873 21 Apr 1873 2 months 18 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
Walker and Carlow Streets Enclosure Bill Committee No.15 13 Dec 1872 20 Mar 1873 3 months 8 days
Permissive Liquor Bill Committee No.12 22 Nov 1872 12 Feb 1873 2 months 22 days
Patents Committee No.10 19 Nov 1872 14 Mar 1873 3 months 24 days
Administration of the Land Law Committee No.14 05 Jul 1872 06 Aug 1872 1 month 2 days
The Australian Mutual Fire Insurance Society’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.10 25 Jun 1872 27 Jun 1872 3 days
Parramatta Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.6 14 Jun 1872 20 Jun 1872 7 days
Member for St Leonards 06 Mar 1872 28 Nov 1874 2 years 8 months 23 days
Circular Quay Committee No.10 23 Jan 1872 01 Feb 1872 10 days
Parramatta Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.8 07 Dec 1871 14 Dec 1871 8 days
Ham Common Resumption Bill Committee No.11 14 Oct 1870 02 Nov 1870 20 days
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
Goulburn School Trust Bill Committee No.16 03 Mar 1870 09 Mar 1870 7 days
George Swinnerton Yarnton Committee No.13 01 Mar 1870 23 Mar 1870 23 days
Bathurst-burr and Thistle Plants Committee No.12 25 Feb 1870 06 Apr 1870 1 month 13 days
Public Vehicles and Boats Committee No.6 08 Feb 1870 29 Apr 1870 2 months 22 days Chairman
Member for St Leonards 20 Dec 1869 03 Feb 1872 2 years 1 month 15 days
Cumberland and Camden Bathurst – bur and thistle Bill Committee No.11 22 Oct 1869 12 Nov 1869 22 days
Claims of Mr Bartholomew Rush Committee No.8 08 Oct 1869 13 Nov 1869 1 month 6 days
Water Frontage at Blue’s Point North Shore Committee No.18 02 Mar 1869 22 Mar 1869 21 days Chairman
Land Titles Department – Mr W.Wright Committee No.17 23 Feb 1869 24 Mar 1869 1 month 2 days
Diseases in Grape-vines Prevention Bill Committee No.16 12 Feb 1869 19 Mar 1869 1 month 8 days
Duties of Master in Equity Committee No.7 12 Jan 1869 24 Feb 1869 1 month 13 days
Mr John Burnley Committee No.19 20 Dec 1867 03 Apr 1868 3 months 15 days
Claims of Mr Bartholomew Rush Committee No.17 22 Nov 1867 01 Apr 1868 4 months 11 days
Seizure at Stores of George McLeod Braidwood Committee No.16 12 Nov 1867 24 Apr 1868 5 months 13 days
Petititon of Mr Thomas Smith Committee No.15 08 Nov 1867 03 Apr 1868 4 months 27 days Chairman
Shipwrecks and Loss of Life on the Coast Committee No.10. 03 Sep 1867 18 Dec 1867 3 months 16 days
City of Newcastle Gas and Coke Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.21 22 Nov 1866 29 Nov 1866 8 days
Parramatta Market Bill Committee No.14 05 Oct 1866 11 Oct 1866 7 days
Proposed Electoral Alterations Committee No.12 25 Sep 1866 13 Dec 1866 2 months 19 days
Disease in Fruit Trees Committee No.5 31 Jul 1866 13 Sep 1866 1 month 14 days Chairman
Reserve, Lavender Bay Committee No.6 31 Jul 1866 23 Oct 1866 2 months 23 days Chairman
Proposed Amendments in Electoral Act of 1858 Committee No.17 09 Mar 1866 04 Apr 1866 27 days
Reserve, Lavender Bay Committee No.16 06 Mar 1866 29 Mar 1866 24 days Chairman
William Goodin Committee No.11 21 Nov 1865 22 Dec 1865 1 month 2 days
Standard Weights for Agricultural Produce Committee No.10 16 Nov 1865 06 Mar 1866 3 months 19 days
Parramatta River Steam Company’s Bill Committee No.8 10 Nov 1865 21 Nov 1865 12 days Chairman
Disease in Fruit Trees 31 Oct 1865 24 Dec 1865 1 month 24 days Chairman
Elizabeth Castle Committee No.16 16 May 1865 07 Jun 1865 23 days
Mr Austin Forrest Wilshire (Tanneries, & c.) 03 May 1865 08 Jun 1865 1 month 6 days
Parramatta Market Bill Committee No.14 02 May 1865 09 May 1865 8 days
Member for St Leonards 07 Dec 1864 15 Nov 1869 4 years 11 months 9 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 07 Dec 1864 28 Nov 1874 9 years 11 months 22 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Retired contractor of independent means. Apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner to James Bynes at Parramatta, and in 1838 described himself as a carpenter. By 1851 was a licensee of Curriers' Arms Inn at Sydney. Later was a contractor for supply of Blue Metal to Sydney Municipal Council and taking a telegraph line to Albury. Retired from business before entering the Legislative Assembly and lived at Ryde, and later at St Leonards. Member of first cricket eleven to play Victoria. Worked for the Municipality of St Leonards and for the North Shore generally.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
First Mayor for St Leonards and was re-elected 15 times.
Personal
Son of John Tunks, timber merchant and farmer, and Esther Arndell. Married Margaret McCone Bisseck on 11 December 1838 at Parramatta and had issue, 3 daughters and 7 sons. Church of England.
Additional Information
Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: William Tunks - papers, 1868 - 1880, 1837 (MLMSS 3011); photographs in the PICMAN Database.

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.