John Fitzpatrick (New South Wales politician)
Encyclopedia
John Charles Lucas Fitzpatrick (15 February 1862 – 7 August 1932) was an Australia
n politician and journalist.
Fitzpatrick was born in Moama
in the Riverina
region of New South Wales
, but his family moved to Windsor
in 1869. He was educated at a catholic school and he was apprenticed to the former Australian newspaper's Windsor office at 14. He was a compositor on the former Melbourne Punch
at 18 and subsequently worked on papers in Gunnedah
, Narrabri
, Walgett
and Parramatta
and Goulburn
. In January 1886 he married Agnes Clare Kelly. In about 1888, he established the Windsor and Richmond Gazette and in 1905 he bought the Molong
Argus, which he and in 1907.
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
in July 1895, representing the Free Trade Party
. While the election was found to be invalid, he won the subsequent by-election in October 1895. He held the seat until 1904, when he stood unsuccessfully for Northumberland
. In 1906, he lost the Federal seat
of Calare
to Thomas Brown. In 1907, he won the state seat of Orange
as a Liberal
and held it until 1930, except for the period of proportional representation
between 1920 and 1927, when he was one of the members for Bathurst. He joined Holman
's Nationalist government
as Secretary for Mines from November 1916 and Colonial Treasurer from October 1918 until its defeat by John Storey
Labor Party
in April 1920. He was Secretary for Mines and Minister for Local Government on 20 December 1921 in George Fuller
's seven-hour government and between 1922 and 1925. Fitzpatrick retired from politics in 1930.
Fitzpatrick died in the Sydney
suburb of Roseville, New South Wales
, survived by a son and daughter.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and journalist.
Fitzpatrick was born in Moama
Moama, New South Wales
Moama is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, Australia, in the Murray Shire Local Government Area. The town is directly across the Murray River from the larger tourist town of Echuca in the neighbouring state of Victoria, to which it is connected by a bridge...
in the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
region 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...
, but his family moved to Windsor
Windsor, New South Wales
Windsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It sits on the Hawkesbury River, on the north-western outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. At the 2006 census, Windsor had a population of...
in 1869. He was educated at a catholic school and he was apprenticed to the former Australian newspaper's Windsor office at 14. He was a compositor on the former Melbourne Punch
Melbourne Punch
Melbourne Punch was an Australian illustrated magazine founded by Edgar Ray and Frederick Sinnett, modelled closely on Punch of London which was founded just fifteen years earlier....
at 18 and subsequently worked on papers in Gunnedah
Gunnedah, New South Wales
Gunnedah is a town and Local government area in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. 7,542 people lived in the town of Gunnedah in 2006, including 931 indigenous people ....
, Narrabri
Narrabri, New South Wales
Narrabri is a town and seat of Narrabri Shire Council Local Government Area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales, Australia. Narrabri is situated on the Namoi River and lies northwest of Sydney. It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway and the Newell Highway...
, Walgett
Walgett, New South Wales
Walgett is a town in North-West New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is at the junction of the Barwon and Namoi rivers and near the junction of the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways...
and Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
and Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
. In January 1886 he married Agnes Clare Kelly. In about 1888, he established the Windsor and Richmond Gazette and in 1905 he bought the Molong
Molong, New South Wales
Molong is a small town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, in Cabonne Shire.Molong is located on the Mitchell Highway about 300 kilometres west of Sydney and about 30 kilometres from the city of Orange. It is elevated at 529 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census, Molong...
Argus, which he and in 1907.
Political career
Fitzpatrick was elected as the member for RylstoneElectoral district of Rylstone
Rylstone was a former electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1894 from part of Mudgee and named after and including Rylstone. It was abolished in 1904, with the downsizing of the Legislative Assembly after Federation.-Members for...
in the New South Wales 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...
in July 1895, representing the Free Trade Party
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
. While the election was found to be invalid, he won the subsequent by-election in October 1895. He held the seat until 1904, when he stood unsuccessfully for Northumberland
Electoral district of Northumberland
Northumberland was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1859 to 1913, in the Newcastle area and named after Northumberland County. It elected two members simultaneously between 1880 and 1887 and three members between 1887 and 1894...
. In 1906, he lost the Federal seat
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
of Calare
Division of Calare
The Division of Calare is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was first contested at the 1906 election and is named for the local Aboriginal name for the Lachlan River, which runs through the western part of the division...
to Thomas Brown. In 1907, he won the state seat of Orange
Electoral district of Orange
Orange is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Andrew Gee of the National Party of Australia....
as a Liberal
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
and held it until 1930, except for the period of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
between 1920 and 1927, when he was one of the members for Bathurst. He joined Holman
William Holman
William Arthur Holman was an Australian Labor Party Premier of New South Wales, Australia, who split with the party on the conscription issue in 1916 during World War I, and immediately became Premier of a conservative Nationalist Party Government.-Early life:Holman was born in St Pancras, London,...
's Nationalist government
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
as Secretary for Mines from November 1916 and Colonial Treasurer from October 1918 until its defeat by John Storey
John Storey (politician)
John Storey was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales from 12 April 1920 until his sudden death in Sydney...
Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
in April 1920. He was Secretary for Mines and Minister for Local Government on 20 December 1921 in George Fuller
George Fuller (Australian politician)
Sir George Warburton Fuller KCMG was Premier of New South Wales, Australia on two occasions during the 1920s. His first term of office lasted less than one day ; his second lasted from 13 April 1922 to 17 June 1925.-Early life:Fuller was born in Kiama, New South Wales and was educated at Kiama...
's seven-hour government and between 1922 and 1925. Fitzpatrick retired from politics in 1930.
Fitzpatrick died in the 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...
suburb of Roseville, New South Wales
Roseville, New South Wales
Roseville is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Roseville is located north-west of the Sydney central business district and sits across the local government areas of Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby...
, survived by a son and daughter.