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Former Member Details

Mr Henry Emanuel COHEN (1840 - 1912)

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Date of Birth: 01/12/1840
Place of Birth: Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 05/01/1912
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member for West Maitland 10 Jan 1883 07 Oct 1885 2 years 8 months 28 days
Minister of Justice 05 Jan 1883 06 Oct 1885 2 years 9 months 2 days
Member for West Maitland 07 Dec 1882 05 Jan 1883 30 days
Petition of Mr E.W Rudder Committee No.26 22 Jun 1880 09 Jul 1880 18 days
Archibald Thompson’s Trust Estate Bill Committee No.19 31 Mar 1880 09 Apr 1880 10 days Chairman
Library Committee No.2 29 Oct 1879 13 Jul 1880 8 months 15 days
Valedictory Address to His Excellency the Governor Committee No.24 13 Mar 1879 13 Mar 1879 1 day
Pilot Steamer “Captain Cook” Committee No.15 22 Oct 1878 04 Jul 1879 8 months 13 days
Lyndhurst Sale Bill Committee No.9 31 Jan 1878 13 Feb 1878 14 days
Member for West Maitland 28 Dec 1877 09 Nov 1880 2 years 10 months 13 days
Colonial Treasurer 18 Dec 1877 20 Dec 1878 1 year 3 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 30 Nov 1877 31 Jan 1878 2 months 2 days
Member for West Maitland 31 Oct 1877 18 Dec 1877 1 month 18 days
Colonial Storekeeper’s Department Committee No.22 17 Jul 1877 11 Oct 1877 2 months 25 days
Disputed Mining Lease, Hawkins Hill Committee No.20 19 Jun 1877 11 Oct 1877 3 months 23 days
Newcastle Glebe Leasing Bill Committee No.18 15 May 1877 11 Oct 1877 4 months 27 days
Bathurst and Grafton and Armidale Lands Transfer Bill Committee No.13 30 Jan 1877 22 Feb 1877 24 days
The Bassett Darley Estates Bill Committee No.9 19 Dec 1876 26 Jul 1877 7 months 8 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.10 14 Dec 1876 11 Oct 1877 9 months 28 days
Report of Examiner of Coal Fields on Land held by Messrs Garrett and Greville Committee No.26 04 Aug 1876 17 Aug 1876 14 days
Supply of Coal for Railway Purposes Committee No.16 29 Feb 1876 30 Jun 1876 4 months 2 days
Cooma Roman Catholic Church Trustees Bill Committee No.15 24 Feb 1876 02 Mar 1876 8 days
Tamworth Roman Catholic Church Trustees Bill Committee No.14 24 Feb 1876 07 Mar 1876 13 days
The Case of Amelia Gould Committee No.10 14 Dec 1875 29 Feb 1876 2 months 16 days
Petition of Mr Stephen Stanbridge Committee No.17 30 Jun 1875 28 Jul 1875 29 days
Australasia Coal Company’s Bill Committee No.16 10 Jun 1875 07 Jun 1875 0 days
Petition of Amos Davis Committee No.13 07 May 1875 10 Aug 1875 3 months 4 days
Member for West Maitland 21 Dec 1874 12 Oct 1877 2 years 9 months 22 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 21 Dec 1874 07 Oct 1885 10 years 9 months 17 days
Political Party Activity
Community Activity
Chairman of Directors Hospital Saturday Fund of New South Wales, 1894. President, St John Ambulance Association for many years. Member of the Board of York Street Synagogue from 1874 as well as President for some years. Member of the Board of Montefiore Jewish Home.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (barrister). Educated at Goulburn and Sydney. Was a barrister when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly. From 16 to 24 years of age he worked as a clerk with David Cohen and Company in West Maitland. In 1864, in partnership with his twin brother, he opened a store, Cohen and Company, in Bathurst. It closed down in 1867. Moved to London, where he studied at Middle Temple. He was called to the Bar in June 1871. On his return to Sydney, he became a barrister specializing in commercial cases. Between 1881 - 1882, he was an acting District Court Judge. He returned to the Bar. In 1895, he was an acting Supreme Court Judge; and between 1896-1902, a Supreme Court Judge. In 1902- 1905, he was the first President of the Arbitration Court. He returned to being a Supreme Court Judge between 1905 - 1911.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Abraham and Sophia. Married Sophie, daughter of Leo and Emilie Frank on 17 May 1884 and had issue, 2 sons. Jewish.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), Volume 3

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.