John Neild
Encyclopedia
John Cash Neild was an English-born Australian politician who served as a Senator from New South Wales
from 1901 to 1910.
Neild's family arrived in Australia in 1860, and he worked as an insurance agent and company manager before winning election to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
in 1885. He served intermittently until 1901 and had a tumultuous career as a backbencher, eventually contributing significantly to the fall of the Reid
government in 1899. He also established his own volunteer regiment, which had a difficult and sometimes hostile relationship with military command.
Elected in 1901 to the Senate, Neild was a vigorous supporter of old-age pensions, free trade and several other causes, but his ambitions of promotion were never realised. Passionately loyal to the British Empire
, he questioned aspects of the White Australia policy
and spoke in support of the children of Kanaka
labourers facing deportation. His continued disputes with the military, including an attempt to have the commander of the Australian military forces found in contempt of Parliament
, saw him lose respect among his colleagues and his later career was spent in comparative isolation. He lost his seat in 1910 and died the following year.
on 4 January 1846 to Maria Greenwood and John Cash Neild, a surgeon. He was named after his father. In 1853 the family moved to Taranaki
in New Zealand
, evacuating to Sydney
in 1860 to escape the First Taranaki War
. On 29 October 1868 Neild married Clara Matilda Gertrude Agnew, whose father Philip founded the New South Wales Free Church of England
. Clara died in 1879, three years after the death of the only child of the marriage; Neild remarried on 19 February 1880 at St Paul's Anglican Church in Redfern
, to Georgine Marie Louise Uhr, daughter of a former New South Wales sheriff.
Neild had received a private education and was first employed at Montefiore, Joseph & Co., an importing firm. In 1865 he set up as a commission agent, becoming an insurance agent by 1870 and later managing several companies. He was elected to Woollahra Municipal Council
in 1876 and in 1882 unsuccessfully stood for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
seat of Paddington. He was successful at his second attempt in 1885, when he was elected as a supporter of Henry Parkes
; remaining on Woollahra Council, he served as mayor from 1888 to 1889, leaving the council in 1890.
Dibbs
government, and became known for pursuing causes such as free trade
, old-age pensions and law reform. He earned the nickname "Jawbone" on 23 June 1886, after speaking for nine hours against the Jennings government's introduction of ad valorem
duties. He was narrowly passed over by Parkes for a ministry in January 1887, but was given charge of Sir Alfred Stephen
's divorce extension bill, which passed in 1892. Neild continued to be active in religious affairs, serving from 1891 to 1893 as Right Worshipful Grand Master of the Loyal Orange Institution of New South Wales, although he offended many extreme Protestants by praying for the recovery of the Pope
.
Neild began to encounter difficulties in his political career towards the end of the 1880s; in 1887, his oversight of the erection of the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition led to investigation by a Legislative Assembly select committee, which absolved him of accusations of extravagance and using his office for personal gain. In 1895 he began to agitate for old-age pensions, but in 1899 he was investigated again after Premier George Reid
paid him £350 for writing a report; although Neild repaid the money, the incident was part of the pretext for a successful no confidence motion
in September which brought down the Reid government. Neild also published an anthology of his own poetry, Songs 'neath the Southern Cross, in 1896.
In 1896, in response to the establishment of an Irish-Australian unit in the New South Wales citizen army, Neild raised a volunteer regiment that became St George's English Rifles. He was promoted major of the regiment in July 1896 and lieutenant-colonel in April 1898, and frequently led his men, dressed as British soldiers, around Circular Quay to the tune of "The British Grenadiers
" or "The English Gentleman
". Despite his promotions, Neild had no previous military experience, and in 1899 Lord Beauchamp
, the Governor, wrote that his organisation was "in a state of ridiculous insubordination". He was suspended around Easter of that year for publicly criticising a staff officer and encouraging insubordination; following unfavourable findings by a military inquiry, Neild avoided dismissal only by investing considerable amounts of money into the regiment.
candidate for the Senate
. Together with Senator Cyril Cameron
, he was one of two parliamentarians to wear full dress uniform to the opening of Parliament. He introuced the Parliamentary Evidence Bill on 9 August 1901, which aimed "to enable and regulate the taking of evidence by Parliament and Parliamentary Committees". The bill was withdrawn and reintroduced several times over the next decade but never passed into law. Harbouring ambitions of becoming deputy President
, Neild was active in many committees but failed to achieve his aim, although he did serve as Temporary Chairman of Committees from 1903 to 1910.
Neild was not a supporter of party discipline, refusing to follow Josiah Symon
's leadership of the Free Trade Senators. He spoke against the dictation test for non-British immigrants and the deportation of Kanaka
workers, and continued to advocate free trade and old-age pensions. Having won the fifth position at the 1901 election, Neild faced re-election in 1903, and his impassioned support of the British Empire
saw him elected at the head of the poll despite failing health.
In March 1904 Neild attacked the government's military policy and the commander of the military forces, Major-General Sir Edward Hutton, who had long wished to dismiss Neild from the citizen army. Neild had incited a near mutiny by destroying a well-known sergeant's military career, and was suspended from duty; Neild responded by accusing Hutton of intimidation and infringing a Senator's right of freedom of expression. In April 1904 the Senate formed a committee to investigate alleged contempt of Parliament
by Hutton, which found that Neild had not been intimidated. In 1905 Neild retired from the militia.
Neild's adventures had seen him lose respect in his political career, and he was now openly mocked in the Senate chamber, becoming something of a joke. He introduced a number of bills in his remaining five years in the Senate, all of which lapsed. He spoke in support of Muslim
camel drivers and opposed military training for boys, and continued to oppose elements of the White Australia policy
, raising concerns about Australian-born children of Kanaka
labourers: "They will have difficulties enough in front of them in a country that is so rampantly strong on the white Australia policy without our making their case worse." Neild was defeated at the 1910 election
.
Suffering from hepatic cirrhosis, Neild died at his home in Woollahra
on 8 March 1911, aged 65, survived by his second wife and their two children. He received a military funeral before being buried with Anglican
rites at Waverley Cemetery
in Sydney
.
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...
from 1901 to 1910.
Neild's family arrived in Australia in 1860, and he worked as an insurance agent and company manager before winning election to 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 1885. He served intermittently until 1901 and had a tumultuous career as a backbencher, eventually contributing significantly to the fall of the Reid
George Reid (Australian politician)
Sir George Houstoun Reid, GCB, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales and the fourth Prime Minister of Australia....
government in 1899. He also established his own volunteer regiment, which had a difficult and sometimes hostile relationship with military command.
Elected in 1901 to the Senate, Neild was a vigorous supporter of old-age pensions, free trade and several other causes, but his ambitions of promotion were never realised. Passionately loyal to the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, he questioned aspects of the White Australia policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
and spoke in support of the children of Kanaka
Kanakas
Kanaka was the term for a worker from various Pacific Islands employed in British colonies, such as British Columbia , Fiji and Queensland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
labourers facing deportation. His continued disputes with the military, including an attempt to have the commander of the Australian military forces found in contempt of Parliament
Contempt of Parliament
In some countries, contempt of parliament is the offence of obstructing the legislature in the carrying out of its functions, or of hindering any legislator in the performance of his or her duties. The offence is known by various other names in jurisdictions in which the legislature is not called...
, saw him lose respect among his colleagues and his later career was spent in comparative isolation. He lost his seat in 1910 and died the following year.
Early life
Neild was born in BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
on 4 January 1846 to Maria Greenwood and John Cash Neild, a surgeon. He was named after his father. In 1853 the family moved to Taranaki
Taranaki Province
The Taranaki Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, evacuating 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...
in 1860 to escape the First Taranaki War
First Taranaki War
The First Taranaki War was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori and the New Zealand Government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand's North Island from March 1860 to March 1861....
. On 29 October 1868 Neild married Clara Matilda Gertrude Agnew, whose father Philip founded the New South Wales Free Church of England
Free Church of England
The Free Church of England is an Anglican church which separated from the established Church of England in the course of the 19th century. The church was founded by evangelical clergy and congregations in response to the rise of Anglo-Catholicism. The first congregations were formed in 1844...
. Clara died in 1879, three years after the death of the only child of the marriage; Neild remarried on 19 February 1880 at St Paul's Anglican Church in Redfern
Redfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, to Georgine Marie Louise Uhr, daughter of a former New South Wales sheriff.
Neild had received a private education and was first employed at Montefiore, Joseph & Co., an importing firm. In 1865 he set up as a commission agent, becoming an insurance agent by 1870 and later managing several companies. He was elected to Woollahra Municipal Council
Municipality of Woollahra
The Municipality of Woollahra is a Local Government Area in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The administrative centre of the Municipality of Woollahra is located on New South Head Road at Double Bay....
in 1876 and in 1882 unsuccessfully stood for 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...
seat of Paddington. He was successful at his second attempt in 1885, when he was elected as a supporter of Henry Parkes
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG was an Australian statesman, the "Father of Federation." As the earliest advocate of a Federal Council of the colonies of Australia, a precursor to the Federation of Australia, he was the most prominent of the Australian Founding Fathers.Parkes was described during his...
; remaining on Woollahra Council, he served as mayor from 1888 to 1889, leaving the council in 1890.
State politics and military career
Neild devoted his first speech to criticism of the ProtectionistProtectionist Party
The Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in...
Dibbs
George Dibbs
Sir George Richard Dibbs KCMG was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales on three occasions.-Early years:Dibbs was born in Sydney, son of Captain John Dibbs, who disappeared in the same year...
government, and became known for pursuing causes such as free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
, old-age pensions and law reform. He earned the nickname "Jawbone" on 23 June 1886, after speaking for nine hours against the Jennings government's introduction of ad valorem
Ad valorem tax
An ad valorem tax is a tax based on the value of real estate or personal property. It is more common than a specific duty, a tax based on the quantity of an item, such as cents per kilogram, regardless of price....
duties. He was narrowly passed over by Parkes for a ministry in January 1887, but was given charge of Sir Alfred Stephen
Alfred Stephen
Sir Alfred Stephen was an Australian judge and chief justice of New South Wales.Stephen was born at St Christopher in the West Indies. His father, John Stephen , was related to Henry John Stephen, Sir James Stephen and Sir James FitzJames Stephen, all men of great distinction in England...
's divorce extension bill, which passed in 1892. Neild continued to be active in religious affairs, serving from 1891 to 1893 as Right Worshipful Grand Master of the Loyal Orange Institution of New South Wales, although he offended many extreme Protestants by praying for the recovery of the Pope
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
.
Neild began to encounter difficulties in his political career towards the end of the 1880s; in 1887, his oversight of the erection of the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition led to investigation by a Legislative Assembly select committee, which absolved him of accusations of extravagance and using his office for personal gain. In 1895 he began to agitate for old-age pensions, but in 1899 he was investigated again after Premier George Reid
George Reid (Australian politician)
Sir George Houstoun Reid, GCB, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales and the fourth Prime Minister of Australia....
paid him £350 for writing a report; although Neild repaid the money, the incident was part of the pretext for a successful no confidence motion
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in September which brought down the Reid government. Neild also published an anthology of his own poetry, Songs 'neath the Southern Cross, in 1896.
In 1896, in response to the establishment of an Irish-Australian unit in the New South Wales citizen army, Neild raised a volunteer regiment that became St George's English Rifles. He was promoted major of the regiment in July 1896 and lieutenant-colonel in April 1898, and frequently led his men, dressed as British soldiers, around Circular Quay to the tune of "The British Grenadiers
The British Grenadiers
The British Grenadiers is a marching song for the grenadier units of the British and Commonwealth militaries, the tune of which dates from the 17th century. It is the Regimental Quick March of the Grenadier Guards, Corps of Royal Engineers, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Royal Regiment of...
" or "The English Gentleman
The English Gentleman
The English Gentleman is a humorous book written by Douglas Sutherland and illustrated by Timothy Jacques, with an introduction by Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk...
". Despite his promotions, Neild had no previous military experience, and in 1899 Lord Beauchamp
William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp
William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp KG, KCMG, PC , styled Viscount Elmley until 1891, was a British Liberal politician. He was Governor of New South Wales between 1899 and 1901, a member of the Liberal administrations of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman and H. H...
, the Governor, wrote that his organisation was "in a state of ridiculous insubordination". He was suspended around Easter of that year for publicly criticising a staff officer and encouraging insubordination; following unfavourable findings by a military inquiry, Neild avoided dismissal only by investing considerable amounts of money into the regiment.
Senate career
Neild contested the first federal election in 1901, running as a Free TradeFree 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...
candidate for the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
. Together with Senator Cyril Cameron
Cyril Cameron
Cyril St Clair Cameron was an Australian soldier and politician.Born in Launceston, Tasmania, he was educated at Launceston Grammar School and then attended Edinburgh University, becoming a pastoralist and professional soldier...
, he was one of two parliamentarians to wear full dress uniform to the opening of Parliament. He introuced the Parliamentary Evidence Bill on 9 August 1901, which aimed "to enable and regulate the taking of evidence by Parliament and Parliamentary Committees". The bill was withdrawn and reintroduced several times over the next decade but never passed into law. Harbouring ambitions of becoming deputy President
President of the Australian Senate
The President of the Australian Senate is the presiding officer of the Australian Senate, the upper house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer of the lower house is the Speaker of the House of Representatives....
, Neild was active in many committees but failed to achieve his aim, although he did serve as Temporary Chairman of Committees from 1903 to 1910.
Neild was not a supporter of party discipline, refusing to follow Josiah Symon
Josiah Symon
Hon Sir Josiah Henry Symon KCMG , Scottish-Australian lawyer and politician, was a member of the Australian Senate in the First Australian Parliament, and an Attorney-General of Australia.-Biography:...
's leadership of the Free Trade Senators. He spoke against the dictation test for non-British immigrants and the deportation of Kanaka
Kanakas
Kanaka was the term for a worker from various Pacific Islands employed in British colonies, such as British Columbia , Fiji and Queensland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
workers, and continued to advocate free trade and old-age pensions. Having won the fifth position at the 1901 election, Neild faced re-election in 1903, and his impassioned support of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
saw him elected at the head of the poll despite failing health.
In March 1904 Neild attacked the government's military policy and the commander of the military forces, Major-General Sir Edward Hutton, who had long wished to dismiss Neild from the citizen army. Neild had incited a near mutiny by destroying a well-known sergeant's military career, and was suspended from duty; Neild responded by accusing Hutton of intimidation and infringing a Senator's right of freedom of expression. In April 1904 the Senate formed a committee to investigate alleged contempt of Parliament
Contempt of Parliament
In some countries, contempt of parliament is the offence of obstructing the legislature in the carrying out of its functions, or of hindering any legislator in the performance of his or her duties. The offence is known by various other names in jurisdictions in which the legislature is not called...
by Hutton, which found that Neild had not been intimidated. In 1905 Neild retired from the militia.
Neild's adventures had seen him lose respect in his political career, and he was now openly mocked in the Senate chamber, becoming something of a joke. He introduced a number of bills in his remaining five years in the Senate, all of which lapsed. He spoke in support of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
camel drivers and opposed military training for boys, and continued to oppose elements of the White Australia policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
, raising concerns about Australian-born children of Kanaka
Kanakas
Kanaka was the term for a worker from various Pacific Islands employed in British colonies, such as British Columbia , Fiji and Queensland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
labourers: "They will have difficulties enough in front of them in a country that is so rampantly strong on the white Australia policy without our making their case worse." Neild was defeated at the 1910 election
Australian federal election, 1910
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 April 1910. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
.
Suffering from hepatic cirrhosis, Neild died at his home in Woollahra
Woollahra, New South Wales
Woollahra is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woollahra is located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra. The Municipality of Woollahra takes its name from the...
on 8 March 1911, aged 65, survived by his second wife and their two children. He received a military funeral before being buried with Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
rites at Waverley Cemetery
Waverley Cemetery
The Waverley Cemetery opened in 1877 and is a cemetery located on top of the cliffs at Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. It is noted for its largely intact Victorian and Edwardian monuments. The cemetery contains the graves of many significant Australians including the poet Henry Lawson and...
in 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...
.