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Member Details

Mr James TORPY (1832 - 1903)

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Date of Birth: 01/01/1832
Place of Birth: Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland
Date of Death: 22/06/1903
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Children’s Protection Act Amendment Bill Committee No.9 20 Feb 1894 05 Jun 1894 3 months 17 days
Bankruptcy Act Amendment Bill Committee No.7 25 Jan 1894 05 Jun 1894 4 months 12 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 23 Jan 1894 11 Jun 1894 4 months 20 days
Bankruptcy Act Amendment Bill Committee No.13 01 Dec 1893 08 Dec 1893 8 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 27 Sep 1893 08 Dec 1893 2 months 12 days
Vale of Clwydd Coal mining Company’s Bill Committee No.3 05 Oct 1892 18 Oct 1892 14 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 31 Aug 1892 31 Aug 1892 1 day
Case of Patrick Brown Committee No.31 21 Dec 1891 11 Feb 1892 1 month 22 days
Conditional Purchases of Neil Gallagher, Orange Committee No.20 15 Sep 1891 25 Nov 1891 2 months 11 days
Claims of William Tom, James Tom, and J.H.A Lister, as the first Discoverers of Gold in Australia Committee No.15 25 Aug 1891 02 Sep 1891 9 days
Casino School of Arts Enabling Bill Committee No.9 05 Aug 1891 17 Sep 1891 1 month 13 days
Refreshment Committee No.4 28 Jul 1891 01 Apr 1892 8 months 5 days
Member for Orange 20 Jun 1891 25 Jun 1894 3 years 6 days
Management of the Orange Hospital No.5 26 May 1891 02 Jun 1891 8 days
Management of the Orange Hospital Committee No.38 21 Oct 1890 19 Dec 1890 1 month 29 days
Claims of Rev. Daniel P.M Hulbert Committee No.29 26 Aug 1890 20 Dec 1890 3 months 25 days
Claims of William Tom, James Tom and JHA Lister as the first discoverers of gold in Australia Committee No.27 26 Aug 1890 18 Dec 1890 3 months 23 days
Conditional Purchases of J.Smith, JMD Sullivan, and A.Campbell, Land District of Lismore Committee No.28 26 Aug 1890 20 Dec 1890 3 months 25 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 28 Feb 1889 28 Feb 1889 1 day
Member for Orange 02 Feb 1889 06 Jun 1891 2 years 4 months 5 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 02 Feb 1889 25 Jun 1894 5 years 4 months 24 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Wine and spirits merchant and newspaper proprieter. Worked in Manchester and Liverpool. Migrated to Victoria in 1853 and journeyed to goldfields in Victoria then in New South Wales; mined successfully at Turon (Sofala). Was a hotel keeper and had mining interests in at Lambing Flat during the 1860 until 1861 riots against the Chinese; leader of the Miners Protestant League. Miners delegate representing their case and presenting a petition to the Governor from July until August in 1861. Arrested for his part in the riots but was later acquitted. Sold a mining claim to Chinese when arguing that they should be excluded. By 1862 lived at Forbes; later journeyed to Orange and became a licensee of the Commercial Hotel and later of the Wellington Inn; retired from the hotel business in 1876, visited Ireland. Returned to Orange and became a wine and spirits merchant for the next 22 years. Proprieter of Western Daily Advocate in 1884. Active Member of Provincial Press Association. President of Orange Mechanics School of Arts. Member of Orange Volunteer Rifle Corps. Vice President of Orange Jockey Club. President of Central West Rugby Football Union. Original member of Athenaeum Club.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman of Orange from 1878. Mayor from 1879 until 1880.
Personal
Son of James Torpy, miller, and Jane Mortimer. Married Isabella Jane Walwyn on 3 June 1862 at Goulburn and had issue, 4 daughters and 4 sons. Church of England.
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.