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Member Details

Mr James Sinclair Taylor MCGOWEN (1855 - 1922)

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Date of Birth: 16/08/1855
Place of Birth: "Western Bride", At sea
Date of Death: 07/04/1922
Place of Death: Petersham, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 17 Jul 1917 07 Apr 1922 4 years 8 months 22 days Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 6 May 1917
Member for Redfern 06 Dec 1913 21 Feb 1917 3 years 2 months 16 days
Minister for Labour and Industry 30 Jun 1913 29 Jan 1914 7 months
Parliamentary Accommodation Committee No.14 08 Nov 1912 05 Dec 1912 28 days Chairman
Increase in House Rents Committee No.8 12 Sep 1912 05 Nov 1912 1 month 25 days
Library Committee No.4 07 Aug 1912 05 Dec 1912 3 months 29 days
Printing Committee No.6 07 Aug 1912 04 Dec 1912 3 months 28 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 07 Aug 1912 05 Dec 1912 3 months 29 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 07 Aug 1912 05 Dec 1912 3 months 29 days
Colonial Secretary 27 Nov 1911 29 Jun 1913 1 year 7 months 3 days
Administration of the Rocks resumed Area Committee No.20 14 Nov 1911 28 Mar 1912 4 months 15 days
System of Discrimination in Freight Charges on the Railways Committee No.21 14 Nov 1911 28 Mar 1912 4 months 15 days
Increase in House Rents Committee No.16 17 Oct 1911 25 Mar 1912 5 months 9 days
Library Committee No.4 30 Nov 1910 23 Dec 1910 24 days
Printing Committee No.6 30 Nov 1910 23 Dec 1910 24 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 30 Nov 1910 23 Dec 1910 24 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 30 Nov 1910 23 Dec 1910 24 days
Colonial Treasurer 21 Oct 1910 26 Nov 1911 1 year 1 month 6 days
Premier 21 Oct 1910 29 Jun 1913 2 years 8 months 9 days
Member for Redfern 14 Oct 1910 06 Nov 1913 3 years 24 days
Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 07 Jul 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 14 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 28 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 1 month 24 days
Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 10 Aug 1909 09 Dec 1909 4 months
Standing Orders Committee No.3 14 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5 months 4 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 Redfern 10 Sep 1907 14 Sep 1910 3 years 5 days
Standing Orders Committee No.4 09 Jul 1907 12 Jul 1907 4 days
David Berry Hospital Bill Committee No.14 22 Nov 1906 06 Dec 1906 15 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 10 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 9 days
Sydney Corporation Amendment Bill Committee No.22 15 Nov 1905 28 Nov 1905 14 days
Claim of Robert Roberts, late Bookbinder, Registrar-General’s Department Committee No.16 12 Sep 1905 25 Oct 1905 1 month 14 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 28 Jun 1905 09 Dec 1905 5 months 12 days
Government Savings Bill Committee No.13 02 Dec 1904 06 Dec 1904 5 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 21 Sep 1904 09 Nov 1904 1 month 20 days
Member for Redfern 06 Aug 1904 19 Aug 1907 3 years 14 days
Standing Orders Committee No.4 01 Jul 1903 01 Dec 1903 5 months 1 day
Standing Orders Committee No.4 17 Jun 1902 20 Dec 1902 6 months 4 days
Tied Houses Committee No.8 22 Aug 1901 18 Sep 1901 28 days
Standing Orders Committee No.5 08 Aug 1901 20 Dec 1901 4 months 13 days
Member for Redfern 03 Jul 1901 16 Jul 1904 3 years 14 days
Church of England Property Trust, Diocese of Goulburn Committee No.24 05 Oct 1900 05 Dec 1900 2 months 1 day
Names for Electorates, Federal Parliament Committee No.17 16 Aug 1900 30 Aug 1900 15 days
Dismissal of Mrs. Abraham, Shaftesbury Girls Asylum Committee No. 8 03 Jul 1900 01 Dec 1900 4 months 29 days
Standing Orders Committee No.4 20 Jun 1900 24 Jul 1900 1 month 5 days
Case of James Cook and other employees of the Tramway Department Committee No. 23 13 Dec 1899 20 Dec 1899 8 days
Claim of Mr Theophilus Stephens- Crown Law Department Committee No. 20 21 Nov 1899 30 Nov 1899 10 days
Case of Thomas Buckley – Public Works Department Committee No.17 07 Nov 1899 20 Dec 1899 1 month 14 days
Municipal District of Broken Hill Electric Lighting Bill Committee No.9 10 Aug 1899 16 Aug 1899 7 days
Standing Orders Committee No.4 08 Aug 1899 23 Dec 1899 4 months 16 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 13 Apr 1899 21 Apr 1899 9 days
Standing Orders Committee No.1 21 Feb 1899 30 Mar 1899 1 month 10 days
Estate of the late S.M Swift of Petersham Committee No.23 13 Dec 1898 22 Dec 1898 10 days
Mort’s Dock and Engineering Company (Limited) Enabling Bill Committee No. 18 17 Nov 1898 23 Dec 1898 1 month 7 days
Case of Thomas Buckley, Public Works Department Committee No. 7 30 Aug 1898 23 Dec 1898 3 months 24 days
Standing Orders Committee No. 3 25 Aug 1898 23 Dec 1898 3 months 29 days
Member for Redfern 27 Jul 1898 11 Jun 1901 2 years 10 months 16 days
Standing Orders Committee No. 2 28 Jun 1898 08 Jul 1898 11 days
Standing Orders Committee No.2 28 Apr 1897 18 Aug 1897 3 months 22 days
Case of Thomas Buckley – Public Works Department Committee No.33 20 Oct 1896 16 Nov 1896 28 days
Claim of Mr Theophilus Stephens – Crown Law Department Committee No.34 20 Oct 1896 11 Nov 1896 23 days
Old Age Pension Committee No.9 16 Jun 1896 16 Sep 1896 3 months 1 day
Standing Orders Committee No.2 14 May 1896 16 Nov 1896 6 months 3 days
Borough of Redfern Electric Lighting Bill Committee No.11 08 Oct 1895 17 Oct 1895 10 days Chairman
Case of Mr A.J.C Single Committee No.9 19 Sep 1895 10 Oct 1895 22 days
Standing Orders. Committee No. 2 20 Aug 1895 08 Jul 1898 2 years 10 months 19 days
Member for Redfern 24 Jul 1895 08 Jul 1898 2 years 11 months 15 days
Address of Condolence to Lady Duff. Committee No. 16 19 Mar 1895 05 Jul 1895 3 months 17 days
Appropriation Bill. Committee No. 15 21 Dec 1894 05 Jul 1895 6 months 15 days
Presbyterian Church Property Management Amendment Bill. Committee No. 10 22 Nov 1894 05 Jul 1895 7 months 14 days
Refreshment Committee No. 4 29 Aug 1894 05 Jul 1895 10 months 7 days
Member for Redfern 17 Jul 1894 05 Jul 1895 11 months 19 days
Oxford street Improvement Bill Committee No.8 25 Jan 1894 13 Feb 1894 20 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 23 Jan 1894 11 Jun 1894 4 months 20 days
Corowa School of Arts Enabling Bill Committee No.9 24 Oct 1893 08 Dec 1893 1 month 15 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 27 Sep 1893 08 Dec 1893 2 months 12 days
Working of the Government Labour Bureau Committee No.25 26 Apr 1893 02 Jun 1893 1 month 8 days
Hay Athenaeum Trustees Enabling Bill Committee No.17 19 Jan 1893 01 Feb 1893 14 days
Oxford street Improvement Bill Committee No.13 16 Nov 1892 13 Jun 1893 6 months 29 days
Refreshment Committee No.7 05 Oct 1892 18 Oct 1892 14 days
Whaling Road, North Sydney Committee No.29 21 Dec 1891 17 Mar 1892 2 months 26 days
Refreshment Committee No.4 28 Jul 1891 01 Apr 1892 8 months 5 days
Member for Redfern 17 Jun 1891 25 Jun 1894 3 years 9 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 17 Jun 1891 21 Feb 1917 25 years 8 months 5 days
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Foundation member, member central executive 1896, 1906-1909, leader 1894-1913, refused endorsement for stand on conscription; stood as Industry Labor 1917; vice president of National Association 1917-1918. First Labor Premier.
Community Activity
Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1896
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Boilermaker. Arrival at Melbourne three weeks old; moved with parents to Sydney 1867; little schooling; worked with father bridge building Bathurst, Yass, O'Connell Plains and Aberdeen; apprenticed to boilermaking with P.N. Russell and Co. 1870; after 1873 strike employed at Atlas works later at Fitzroy Dock; joined Boilermakers' Union, became secretary 1874- 1890; delegate to the Trades and Labor Council (TLC) and to Melbourne Congress 1885; joined Railways Department Eveleigh Workshops 1875-1891; president of Eight Hour Committee 1888- 1891, delegate to the Trades and Labor Council (TLC), on executive 1888-1891, instrumental in building of Trades Hall; State Children's Relief Board 1900- 1908; New South Wales film censor (1922); member parliament, delegation to coronation 1911; Chairman of Housing Board (1912); Sunday school superintendent St Paul's Church of England, Redfern.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of James McGowen, boilermaker, and his wife Eliza Ditchfield. Married Emily Towner in c.1887 and had issue, 6 sons and 2 daughters. Church of England.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10

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.