James Martin (Australian politician)

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Sir James Martin

Sir James Martin (Born Middleton, Cork, Ireland May 14 1820; Died Potts Point, Sydney, Australia November 4, 1886) was the Premier of New South Wales on three separate occasions and was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales 1873-1886.

Martin was born at Midleton, County Cork, Ireland. His parents emigrated with him to Sydney in 1821, and he was educated under W. T. Cape at the Sydney Academy and Sydney College. On leaving school at 16 years of age he became a reporter, and in 1838 published The Australian Sketch Book, a remarkably well-written series of sketches for a boy who had just completed his eighteenth year. It was dedicated to G. R. Nichols, a well-known barrister of the period, to whom Martin became articled. At the end of his articles he began practising as an attorney but also did much writing for the press, and in his middle twenties was editor and manager of the Atlas for two years. Martin married Isabella Long on 22 January, 1853 at St Peters, Cooks River, Sydney, NSW, they had 16 children.

In 1848 he was a candidate for the Durham electorate of the legislative council, but the press was united against him and he found it prudent to withdraw from the election. Later in the same year he was elected for Cook and Westmoreland, but the election was declared void. At the new election he was returned unopposed. He was not a favourite in the house as a young man, his temper was not under perfect control, and his speeches were considered to be flippant and intemperate. He, however, initiated the discussion which led to the establishment of a branch of the royal mint at Sydney. In 1856 he was elected to the first parliament under responsible government, and in August was made attorney-general in the first ministry of Cowper. There was a great outcry from parliament, press and bar, the chief objection being that Martin was not then a barrister, and the government was defeated largely on account of his appointment. However, when Cowper formed his second ministry in 1857 Martin was given the same position and showed himself to be a good administrator. He had in the meantime qualified as a barrister, and it became noticeable that his manner showed more self-control. In November 1858 he resigned his seat in the cabinet finding himself too often at variance with his colleagues.

Martin was out of office for some years. In October 1863 he was asked to form a government but his first ministry did not last long. Faced with a deficit he struck off the vote for immigration, and attempted to bring in a protective tariff. He was defeated in the house, and obtaining a dissolution his party came back from the election greatly reduced in numbers. The Cowper ministry which followed lasted less than a year, and in January 1866 Martin made a coalition with Henry Parkes and the ministry then formed lasted nearly three years and passed many important measures. During the visit of Prince Alfred, Martin was knighted. His government resigned in October 1868. He was premier again from December 1870 until May 1872, when he was succeeded by Parkes. In November 1873, on the retirement of Sir Alfred Stephen, Martin was given the position of chief justice and filled it admirably, though towards the end of his life his duties were sometimes interrupted by ill health.

References

[The Honourable Sir James Martin, Kt - Law and History 2: Lawlink NSW] Accessed URL 24 April, 2006.

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