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Member Details

The Hon. Henry COPELAND (1839 - 1904)

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Date of Birth: 06/06/1839
Place of Birth: Hull, England
Date of Death: 22/06/1904
Place of Death: London, England
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Accidents in Mines Committee No. 13 11 Oct 1898 23 Dec 1898 2 months 13 days
Member for Sydney-Phillip 27 Jul 1898 27 Mar 1900 1 year 8 months 1 day
Annual Leases of Owen McCosker, Cope’s Creek Committee No.16 14 Jul 1896 29 Oct 1896 3 months 16 days
Member for Sydney-Phillip 17 Oct 1895 08 Jul 1898 2 years 8 months 22 days
Standing Orders Committee No. 2 29 Aug 1894 05 Jul 1895 10 months 7 days
Member for Armidale 17 Jul 1894 05 Jul 1895 11 months 19 days
Claim of James Guihen, of Broger’s Creek Committee No.28 07 Jun 1893 13 Jun 1893 7 days
Agricultural Holdings Bill Committee No.24 18 Apr 1893 30 May 1893 1 month 13 days
Calaghan’s Conditional Purchases, Braidwood and Queanbeyan Committee No.22 01 Mar 1893 02 Mar 1893 2 days
Selection made by James Connelly at Tamworth Committee No.16 13 Dec 1892 13 Jun 1893 6 months 1 day
Menindie and Broken Hill Tramway Bill Committee.10 18 Oct 1892 10 Nov 1892 24 days
Hillgrove and Armidale Water-power Electric Bill Committee No.4 05 Oct 1892 01 Nov 1892 28 days
Conditional purchase by Zachary Benn, Richmond River District Committee No.34 01 Feb 1892 22 Feb 1892 22 days
Conditional Purchase by James Young, at Gosford Committee No.30 21 Dec 1891 04 Feb 1892 1 month 15 days
Whaling Road, North Sydney Committee No.29 21 Dec 1891 17 Mar 1892 2 months 26 days
Member for New England 04 Nov 1891 25 Jun 1894 2 years 7 months 22 days
Secretary for Lands 23 Oct 1891 02 Aug 1894 2 years 9 months 11 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 28 Jul 1891 01 Apr 1892 8 months 5 days
Member for New England 25 Jun 1891 26 Oct 1891 4 months 2 days
Segenhoe Estate Irrigation Bill Committee No.8 27 May 1891 02 Jun 1891 7 days
Segenhoe Estate Irrigation Bill Committee No.45 16 Dec 1890 20 Dec 1890 5 days
Claims of Rev. Daniel P.M Hulbert Committee No.29 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 New England 04 Feb 1889 06 Jun 1891 2 years 4 months 3 days
Work of Unemployed on Roads at Hornsby and Holt Sutherland Estate Committee No.7 15 Nov 1888 16 Jan 1889 2 months 2 days
Teralba Coal mining Reserve Committee No.59 08 Jun 1888 24 Jul 1888 1 month 17 days
Contract for the Bridge over the Paterson River Committee No.56 24 Apr 1888 24 Jul 1888 3 months 1 day
Robert Munford’s Conditional Purchases, parish of Metz Committee No.39 20 Dec 1887 05 Jul 1888 6 months 16 days
John Tierney’s Conditional Purchase Committee No.16 11 Oct 1887 24 Jul 1888 9 months 14 days
Member for New England 10 Feb 1887 19 Jan 1889 1 year 11 months 10 days
Borough of East St Leonard’s Wharves Bill Committee No.64 03 Sep 1886 09 Sep 1886 7 days
Privilege-Mr Barbour, MP Committee No.53 22 Jun 1886 22 Jul 1886 1 month 1 day
Conditional Purchases on Pericoota Run Committee No.50 18 Jun 1886 25 Oct 1886 4 months 8 days
Mr Henry Arthur Hough Committee No.47 11 Jun 1886 08 Jul 1886 28 days
Claim of Charles Stevens Committee No.41 21 May 1886 06 Aug 1886 2 months 17 days
George Dougherty’s Conditional Purchase Committee No.27 30 Mar 1886 13 May 1886 1 month 14 days
Member for East Sydney 09 Mar 1886 26 Jan 1887 10 months 18 days
Secretary for Lands 26 Feb 1886 19 Jan 1887 10 months 25 days
Claim of Mr Thomas Horton Committee No.15 28 Jan 1886 10 Feb 1886 14 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 18 Nov 1885 18 Nov 1885 1 day
Member for East Sydney 16 Oct 1885 02 Mar 1886 4 months 15 days
Road through Mr Polson’s property, Manning River Committee No.53 11 Jul 1884 01 Nov 1884 3 months 22 days
O’Doud’s Estate Leasing Bill Committee No.48 08 May 1884 06 Jun 1884 30 days
Mr Frank Hobbs’s Conditional Purchase Committee No.44 29 Apr 1884 01 Nov 1884 6 months 4 days
Claim of Matthew McIvor to a Tin Mine at Pheasant’s Creek Committee No.42 25 Mar 1884 09 Oct 1884 6 months 15 days
The case of Mr J.H Handsaker Committee No.41 04 Mar 1884 17 Apr 1884 1 month 14 days
Claim of Mr. Thomas Horton Committee No.39 26 Feb 1884 04 Jul 1884 4 months 9 days
Armidale Gas Company’s Incorporation Bill Committee No.29 24 Jan 1884 19 Feb 1884 27 days
Mort Bay Improvement Bill Committee No.17 21 Nov 1883 05 Feb 1884 2 months 16 days
Mr Lamont Young and Party Committee No.6 12 Oct 1883 25 Jun 1884 8 months 14 days
Mr Lamont Young and Party Committee No.20 06 Apr 1883 02 May 1883 27 days
Mort’s Bay Improvement Bill Committee No.16 08 Mar 1883 06 Apr 1883 30 days
Redhead Coal-mine Railway Bill Committee No.15 07 Mar 1883 16 Mar 1883 10 days
Member for East Sydney 23 Jan 1883 07 Oct 1885 2 years 8 months 15 days
Secretary for Public Works 05 Jan 1883 28 Mar 1883 2 months 24 days
Member for Newtown 02 Dec 1882 05 Jan 1883 1 month 4 days
Albury Gas Company’s Bill Committee No.14 24 Oct 1882 03 Nov 1882 11 days
Mrs Clyne’s Conditional Purchase Committee No.6 12 Sep 1882 02 Nov 1882 1 month 22 days
Singleton Gas Bill Committee No.21 29 Sep 1881 28 Nov 1881 2 months
Moffitt’s Estate Enabling Bill Committee No.18 06 Sep 1881 05 Oct 1881 1 month
Lands granted to the Australian Agricultural Company Committee No.7 08 Jul 1881 13 Dec 1881 5 months 6 days
Transfer of Land at North Shore to John William Haynes Committee No.20 24 Mar 1881 05 Apr 1881 13 days
Australian Steam Navigation Act Amendment Bill Committee No.14 10 Mar 1881 17 Mar 1881 8 days
Hall’s Estate Bill Committee No.13 11 Feb 1881 06 Apr 1881 1 month 27 days
Member for New England 02 Dec 1880 23 Nov 1882 1 year 11 months 22 days
Petition of Mr E.W Rudder Committee No.26 22 Jun 1880 09 Jul 1880 18 days
Joadja Creek Railway Bill Committee No.13 03 Dec 1879 17 Dec 1879 15 days
Equity Branch of the Supreme Court Committee No.12 02 Dec 1879 22 Jun 1880 6 months 21 days
Discovery of the Barrington Gold Field Committee No.7 11 Nov 1879 12 May 1880 6 months 2 days Chairman
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 30 Oct 1879 13 Jul 1880 8 months 14 days
Cohen’s Enabling Bill Committee No.26 04 Apr 1879 29 Apr 1879 26 days
Mudgee Turf Club Bill Committee No.20 20 Nov 1878 26 Feb 1879 3 months 7 days
Petition of Mr E.W Rudder Committee No.18 12 Nov 1878 24 Jul 1879 8 months 13 days
Jury List – Deniliquin Committee No.13 22 Oct 1878 20 May 1879 6 months 29 days
Petition of Patrick and Michael Griffin Committee No.14 22 Oct 1878 20 May 1879 6 months 29 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.8 11 Sep 1878 27 Sep 1878 17 days
Petition of Patrick and Michael Griffin Committee No.22 29 Mar 1878 16 May 1878 1 month 18 days
Patrick Nugent’s Conditional Purchase Committee No.18 19 Mar 1878 03 Apr 1878 16 days
Clarence and New England Steam Navigation Company’s Act Amendment Bill Committee No.11 08 Feb 1878 28 Feb 1878 21 days
Mr John Garsed Committee No.10 05 Feb 1878 16 May 1878 3 months 12 days
Member for Goldfields North 27 Oct 1877 09 Nov 1880 3 years 14 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 27 Oct 1877 27 Mar 1900 22 years 5 months 1 day
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Trustee of the Australian Museum and Art Gallery.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Miner and farmer. Educated in Trinity House School in Hull. Was a mining entrepreneur when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly. Qualified as a navigator at 15 and joined the merchant service. Was in the Crimean War and sailed to America and arrived in Victoria, Australia in 1857. After deserting the ship, he became a miner, farmer and contractor on the goldfields. Visited England in 1863. After his return to New South Wales in 1872, he acquired a large interest in the Adelong and Grenfell mines. Was Principal Shareholder in the Long Tunnell Company at Uralla and was elected to the Mining Board in 1874. Opposed the Sunday closing of public houses and the Art Gallery and supported the eight hour day and Federation. Was Agent-General for New South Wales in London in 1900 - 1904.
Military Service
Crimean War.
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Married (1) Hannah, daughter of James Beecroft, a brewer on 20 April 1863, in England. Married (2) Mary, daughter of James Beecroft and had issue, 4 sons and 7 daughters from both marriages. Church of England. Estate was valued at over £2,000.
Additional Information
References: Australian Dictionary of Biography, volume three; Members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales 1856-1901.

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