Date of Birth: 01/01/1858
Place of Birth: London, England
Date of Death: 10/10/1943
Place of Death: Coogee, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
23 Jul 1912 |
22 Apr 1934 |
21 years 9 months |
Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 29 March 1912. Granted retention of title of 'Honourable' for life. |
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP) nominee, voted independently.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Businessman and newspaper proprieter. At age fourteen went to sea as a galley boy and became a chief steward with Union Steamship Company of New Zealand line; licensed victualler in New Zealand; returned to sea; organised Seamen's and Firemen's Union Wellington in 1884, first president and Cooks and Pantrymen's Union, secretary; moved to Sydney in 1888, managed Grand Central Coffee Palace, purchased city property including Arcadia Hotel in Pitt Street, later at the Carrington Hotel in Katoomba and Imperial Hotel at Mt Victoria; purchased and sold power plant for Blue Mountains; established with R.C packer and C.E McKay in 1919 and 1923 which sold to Associated Newspapers Limited in 1929; director of City Freeholds Limited in 1926; owned cinemas; became a substantial shareholder of the Victoria Park Racing Club; director of Sydney Hospital 1911 - 1932, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital 1911 - 1932, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital 1918 - 1919, Wentworth Falls Covalescent Homes and Picton Lakes TB Soldiers and Sailors' Settlement; chairman of New South Wales committee of Seventh War Loan; chairman of Australian Trotting Club and Victoria Park Turf Club; supported introduction of Rugby League; author in 1927.
Honours Received
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1920
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman of the Sydney City Council for Bligh Ward, 1 December 1915 - 30 November 1918. Member of the Health and By-Laws Committee 1916 - 1917; and the Finance Committee 1916 - 1917. Lord Mayor 1918.
Personal
Son of James Smith, gasfitter, and Mary Barton Smith. Married (1) Nellie Eloise. Married (2) Gladys Mary Woods and had issue, 1 daughter and 1 son. Church of England. Funeral at Northern Suburbs crematorium.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), Volume 11.
Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Sir
James Joynton Smith - diary, 1886 (MLMSS 858)
