Stuart Donaldson
Encyclopedia
Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson (16 December 1812 – 11 January 1867) was the first Premier
of the Colony of New South Wales
.
, England
. He entered his father's firm at the age of 15 and was sent first to Mexico
(1831-1834), for business training, and then to Sydney
, where he arrived in 1835. He returned to London between 1841 and 1844.
of New South Wales, representing the County of Durham from 1848 to 1856. Comments made while running for re-election in 1851, led Sir Thomas Mitchell to demand a public apology. While Donaldson complied Mitchell was not satisfied and challenged Donaldson to a duel
with pistol
s. Both men missed but they remained antagonised. He supported the development of steam ship services to Australia and the work of Caroline Chisholm
. In 1852 he achieved the carriage of a motion recommending that £10,000 should be applied to supporting Chisholm's work. He travelled to England in 1853-1854.
In March 1856 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly
of the first Parliament, representing Sydney Hamlets
. The first Legislative Assembly had trouble forming a Government. Eventually Governor Denison
invited Donaldson to be Premier and he took up the offices of Premier and Colonial Secretary on 6 June 1856. Two months and 20 days later, on 25 August 1856, his Government lost a vote and he resigned. He was criticised for standing down so readily but he said, "my colleagues and myself are all too independent of office to cling to it", a somewhat prophetic remark.
He was succeeded by Charles Cowper
and Donaldson served as Colonial Treasurer (1856-1857) and was a Commissioner for Railways in 1857. He was elected unopposed to Cumberland (South Riding)
in October 1856, representing it to 1859. He was a member of the Senate of the University of Sydney
from 1851-61 and his brother John helped to select its academic staff.
ed there in 1860. Following his return, he unsuccessfully sought election to the British House of Commons
for Dartmouth
in 1860 and later for Barnstaple
. He had four sons and one daughter. The eldest son Stuart Alexander Donaldson
, a distinguished scholar, became Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge
, Vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 1912 and died in 1915; another son was St Clair Donaldson
– archbishop of Brisbane. A third son, Sir Hay Frederick Donaldson
, who became an eminent engineer, went with Lord Kitchener on a special mission to Russia in 1916 and was drowned in the Hampshire.
Stuart Donaldson died at Carleton Hall, near Holmrook
, in Cumberland, England on 11 January 1867.
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
of the Colony of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Early life
Donaldson was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He entered his father's firm at the age of 15 and was sent first to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(1831-1834), for business training, and then to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, where he arrived in 1835. He returned to London between 1841 and 1844.
Career
In 1848, Donaldson was elected a member of the first Legislative CouncilNew South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
of New South Wales, representing the County of Durham from 1848 to 1856. Comments made while running for re-election in 1851, led Sir Thomas Mitchell to demand a public apology. While Donaldson complied Mitchell was not satisfied and challenged Donaldson to a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
with pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
s. Both men missed but they remained antagonised. He supported the development of steam ship services to Australia and the work of Caroline Chisholm
Caroline Chisholm
Caroline Chisholm was a progressive 19th-century English humanitarian known mostly for her involvement with female immigrant welfare in Australia. She is commemorated on 16 May in the Calendar of saints of the Church of England...
. In 1852 he achieved the carriage of a motion recommending that £10,000 should be applied to supporting Chisholm's work. He travelled to England in 1853-1854.
In March 1856 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
of the first Parliament, representing Sydney Hamlets
Electoral district of Sydney Hamlets
Sydney Hamlets was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1856 to 1859, including what were then outer suburbs of Sydney and are now the inner suburbs of Paddington, Surry Hills, Redfern, Chippendale, Glebe, Camperdown, O'Connell Town ,...
. The first Legislative Assembly had trouble forming a Government. Eventually Governor Denison
William Denison
Sir William Thomas Denison, KCB was Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1847 to 1855, Governor of New South Wales from 20 January 1855 to 22 January 1861, and Governor of Madras from 1861 to 1866....
invited Donaldson to be Premier and he took up the offices of Premier and Colonial Secretary on 6 June 1856. Two months and 20 days later, on 25 August 1856, his Government lost a vote and he resigned. He was criticised for standing down so readily but he said, "my colleagues and myself are all too independent of office to cling to it", a somewhat prophetic remark.
He was succeeded by Charles Cowper
Charles Cowper
Sir Charles Cowper, KCMG was an Australian politician and the Premier of New South Wales on five different occasions from 1856 to 1870....
and Donaldson served as Colonial Treasurer (1856-1857) and was a Commissioner for Railways in 1857. He was elected unopposed to Cumberland (South Riding)
Electoral district of Cumberland (South Riding)
Cumberland was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1856 to 1859, in the rural part of Cumberland County, which includes Sydney...
in October 1856, representing it to 1859. He was a member of the Senate of the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
from 1851-61 and his brother John helped to select its academic staff.
Late life
Donaldson returned to England for the last time in June 1859 and was knightKnight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed there in 1860. Following his return, he unsuccessfully sought election to the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
for Dartmouth
Dartmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Dartmouth, also at some times called Clifton, Dartmouth and Hardness, was a parliamentary borough in Devon which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1298 and to the Commons of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom from 1351 until 1832, and then one member from...
in 1860 and later for Barnstaple
Barnstaple (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnstaple was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Barnstaple in Devon, in the South West of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member.The constituency...
. He had four sons and one daughter. The eldest son Stuart Alexander Donaldson
Stuart Alexander Donaldson
Stuart Alexander Donaldson was a schoolmaster, clergyman and Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.-Life:...
, a distinguished scholar, became Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
, Vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 1912 and died in 1915; another son was St Clair Donaldson
St Clair Donaldson
St Clair George Alfred Donaldson was the first Anglican archbishop of Brisbane, Australia.-Early life:Donaldson was the third son of Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson and his wife Amelia née Cowper and was born in London. He was educated at Eton, where he rowed in the eight, and at Trinity College,...
– archbishop of Brisbane. A third son, Sir Hay Frederick Donaldson
Hay Frederick Donaldson
Brigadier-General Sir "Hay" Frederick Donaldson KCB was an English mechanical engineer.He was educated at Eton College, Trinity College, Cambridge, University of Edinburgh and Zurich University....
, who became an eminent engineer, went with Lord Kitchener on a special mission to Russia in 1916 and was drowned in the Hampshire.
Stuart Donaldson died at Carleton Hall, near Holmrook
Holmrook
Holmrook is a linear village in the English county of Cumbria. It lies along the A595 road on the west banks of the River Irt. The B5344 road connects it to Drigg, with its railway station less than two miles to the west....
, in Cumberland, England on 11 January 1867.