Henry Osborne was an Australian pastoralist, collier and politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council

New 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...

 between 1851 and 1856. He was also a member of 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...

 for one term from 1856 until 1857.

Early life

Osborne was the son of an Irish farmer. He had an elementary education in County Tyrone and inherited his father's property. In 1829, on the advice of two brothers who had already emigrated to New South Wales, he liquidated his assets for £ 3000 and invested in a consignment of Irish linen which he exported to Sydney. From the proceeds of the linen he acquired a land grant of 2,560 acres and established a dairy farm at Marshall Mount

Marshall Mount, New South Wales

Marshall Mount is a suburb of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. It is located between the larger centres of Dapto and Albion Park.- History :...

 near Dapto

Dapto, New South Wales

Dapto is a southern suburb of Wollongong in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the western side of Lake Illawarra and covering an area 7.15 square kilometres in size...

. By 1850, Osborne had acquired further substantial property in the Illawarra

Illawarra

Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...

 and Murrumbidgee

Murrumbidgee River

The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...

 districts and had also developed coal mines at Mount Keira

Mount Keira

Mount Keira is a 464 metre high mountain lying 4 kilometres northwest of the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. Its distinctive shape and proximity to Wollongong make it a major local landmark. It is noted for the views of the city from the popular summit lookout and its history of...

 and Maitland

Maitland, New South Wales

Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...

. His son Patrick Osborne was also a member of the Legislative Assembly.

State Parliament

In 1851, prior to the establishment of responsible government, Nichols was elected to the semi-elected Legislative Council. He represented the electorate of East Camden until the granting of self-government in 1856. Subsequently, at the first election under the new constitution he was elected to the Legislative Assembly as one of the two members for the same seat. He was subsequently defeated at the 1858 election and then retired from public life. He did not hold a parliamentary or ministerial position.