James Farnell

James Squire Farnell (25 June 1825–21 August 1888) was an Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales. Farnell was a hard-working legislator who gave much study to the land question and also tried hard for some years to pass a bill for the regulation of contagious diseases.cite web
first=Percival
last=Serle
title =Mr James Squire Farnell (1827 - 1888)
publisher =Project Gutenberg Australia
work=Dictionary of Australian Biography
url =http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogF.html#farnell1
accessdate = 2007-04-06]

Early years

Farnell was born in St Leonards, New South Wales, son of Thomas Charles Farnell, a brewer, and Mary Ann Farnell, daughter of James Squire, who arrived on the First Fleet and may have been Australia's first brewer. He was educated at Parramatta.cite web
first=V. W. E.
last=Goodin
title =Farnell, James Squire (1825 - 1888)
publisher =Australian National University
work=Australian Dictionary of Biography
url =http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A040162b.htm
accessdate = 2007-04-06] At a comparatively early age he began travelling with stock and learnt much about his own colony. The gold discoveries in California in 1848 led to his visiting America, and he also travelled in New Zealand before finally returning to New South Wales.

Political career

In 1860, Farnell won by-election to the Legislative Assembly for St Leonards, but lost his seat at the next election. He was returned at Parramatta in 1864 and held the seat for 10 years. He became Secretary for Lands in the first Parkes ministry from May 1872 to February 1875, and for a short period was also Secretary for Mines. In 1874 he was defeated for Parramatta, but won St Leonards at a by-election, and held it to 1882.cite web
title =Mr James Squire Farnell (1825 - 1888)
work =Members of Parliament
publisher =Parliament of New South Wales
url =http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/1fb6ebed995667c2ca256ea100825164/871aa401e652ef83ca256cb700111081!OpenDocument
accessdate = 2007-04-06 ]

From December 1876 until October 1877, Farnell was a chairman of committees, but towards the end of that year he organized a "Third Party", in November carried an amendment to the address in reply by two votes, and the Robertson ministry resigned.

Premier

Farnell succeeded in forming a ministry and on 18 December 1877 and took office as the first Australian-born Premier and Secretary for Lands. In October 1878 he brought in a land bill which was defeated on 5 December. Farnell resigned and was succeeded by Parkes. From 1882 to 1885, he represented New England. When the Stuart ministry was formed in January 1883, Farnell was again Secretary for Lands, and showed much patience and tact in his management of the land bill which became law in 1884. In the succeeding Dibbs ministry formed in October 1885 he was Minister of Justice and representative of the ministry in the Legislative Council, but this government lasted only a few weeks. In 1887, he was elected for Redfern in the Assembly and represented that constituency until his death.

He died in Petersham. His wife survived him with 11 children, one of whom, Frank Farnell, was a member of the Legislative Assembly for Central Cumberland at the time of his father's death and later Ryde.

Honours

Farnell declined a knighthood.

References

Persondata
NAME=Farnell, James Squire
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales
DATE OF BIRTH=25 June 1825
PLACE OF BIRTH=St Leonards, New South Wales
DATE OF DEATH=21 August 1888
PLACE OF DEATH=Petersham