Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

 was a crown colony

Crown colony

A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....

 from its establishment in 1829 as the Swan River Colony

Swan River Colony

The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...

 until the advent of representative government in 1870. During this time executive and legislative power was vested in the Governor of Western Australia

Governor of Western Australia

The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...

, but from 1832 he had Executive and Legislative Councils to assist and advise him. The Western Australian Legislative Council

Western Australian Legislative Council

The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...

 met for the first time on 7 February 1832. This is a list of Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council between 1832 to 1870.

Official members, 1832–1870

The Western Australian Legislative Council was initially composed of five ex officio members; that is, members by virtue of their official government positions. These official positions were: the Governor, the Commandant, the Colonial Secretary

Colonial Secretary of Western Australia

The Colonial Secretary of Western Australia was one of the most important and powerful public offices in Western Australia, in the time when Western Australia was a British colony. The Colonial Secretary was the representative of the British Colonial Office in Western Australia, and was usually...

, the Surveyor-General

Surveyor General of Western Australia

The Surveyor General of Western Australia is the person nominally responsible for government surveying in Western Australia.In the early history of Western Australia, the office of surveyor general was one of the most important public offices...

 and the Advocate-General

Attorney-General of Western Australia

The Attorney-General of Western Australia is the member of the Government of Western Australia responsible for maintenance and improvement of Western Australia's system of law and justice. Before the advent of representative government in 1870, the title was Advocate-General of Western Australia...

. The Collector of Revenue was added in 1847, and the Comptroller-General

Comptroller General of Convicts (Western Australia)

The Comptroller General of Convicts was the head of the convict establishment in Western Australia.The office existed from 1850, when Western Australia first became a penal colony, until 1872, four years after penal transportation to Western Australia had ceased.-History:Western Australia's first...

 in June 1852.

This is a list of official members of the Western Australian Legislative Council between 1832 and 1870. Due to gaps in official records, some dates are approximate and the list may omit some members who were acting in official positions.

Period	Official members
	Governor Governor of Western Australia The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...	Commandant	Colonial Secretary Colonial Secretary of Western Australia The Colonial Secretary of Western Australia was one of the most important and powerful public offices in Western Australia, in the time when Western Australia was a British colony. The Colonial Secretary was the representative of the British Colonial Office in Western Australia, and was usually...	Surveyor General Surveyor General of Western Australia The Surveyor General of Western Australia is the person nominally responsible for government surveying in Western Australia.In the early history of Western Australia, the office of surveyor general was one of the most important public offices...	Advocate General Attorney-General of Western Australia The Attorney-General of Western Australia is the member of the Government of Western Australia responsible for maintenance and improvement of Western Australia's system of law and justice. Before the advent of representative government in 1870, the title was Advocate-General of Western Australia...	Collector of Revenue	Comptroller General Comptroller General of Convicts (Western Australia) The Comptroller General of Convicts was the head of the convict establishment in Western Australia.The office existed from 1850, when Western Australia first became a penal colony, until 1872, four years after penal transportation to Western Australia had ceased.-History:Western Australia's first...
7 February 1832–1834	James Stirling James Stirling (Australian governor) Admiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony and he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia...	Frederick Irwin Frederick Irwin Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Chidley Irwin was acting Governor of Western Australia from 1847 to 1848.Born in 1788 in Enniskillen, Ireland, Frederick Chidley Irwin was the son of Reverend James Irwin. In 1808, he was commissioned into the 83rd Regiment of Foot...	Peter Broun Peter Broun Peter Nicholas Broun , known for most of his life as Peter Nicholas Brown, was the first Colonial Secretary of Western Australia, and a member of Western Australia's first Legislative Council.-Early life:...	John Septimus Roe John Septimus Roe John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, and a Member of Western Australia's Legislative and Executive Councils for nearly 40 years.-Early life:...	William Mackie William Mackie William Henry Mackie was an early settler of the Swan River Colony holding a number of public positions including that of the first Judge of the colony. Mackie was born at Cochin, India and as a child returned to live in Derry before attending school in Twickenham, Middlesex...	Not a member until 1847	Not a member until 1852
1834–3 January 1839					George Fletcher Moore George Fletcher Moore George Fletcher Moore was a prominent early settler in colonial Western Australia, and "one [of] the key figures in early Western Australia's ruling elite"...
3 January 1839–27 January 1846	John Hutt John Hutt John Hutt was Governor of Western Australia from 1839 to 1846.Born in London on 24 July 1795, John Hutt was the fourth of 13 children of Richard Hutt of Appley Towers, Ryde, Isle of Wight. He was educated at Christ's Hospital, and in 1815 inherited Appley Towers...
27 January 1846–November 1846	Andrew Clarke
November 1846–May 1847			George Fletcher Moore George Fletcher Moore George Fletcher Moore was a prominent early settler in colonial Western Australia, and "one [of] the key figures in early Western Australia's ruling elite"...  (acting)		Richard Nash (acting)
May–June 1847			Richard Madden		George Fletcher Moore George Fletcher Moore George Fletcher Moore was a prominent early settler in colonial Western Australia, and "one [of] the key figures in early Western Australia's ruling elite"...
June 1847–12 August 1848						Henry Sutherland
12 August 1848–January 1849	Charles Fitzgerald Charles Fitzgerald Captain Charles Fitzgerald was the Governor of The Gambia from 1844 until 1847, then Governor of Western Australia from 1848 to 1855....
January 1849–March 1850			Revett Henry Bland (acting)
March–October 1850			Thomas Yule (acting)
October 1850–March 1851			Charles Piesse
March 1851–1852			Thomas Yule (acting)
1852					Bartholemew Vigors (acting)		Edmund Henderson Edmund Henderson Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Edmund Yeamans Walcott Henderson KCB was an officer in the British Army who was Comptroller-General of Convicts in Western Australia from 1850 to 1863, Home Office Surveyor-General of Prisons from 1863 to 1869, and Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, head of the London...
January 1852–1854			William Sanford
1854–1855		G. M. Reeves			Richard Burnie
1855		John Bruce				Richard Broun
1855–July 1855						Anthony O'Grady Lefroy Anthony O'Grady Lefroy Anthony O'Grady Lefroy CMG , often known as O'Grady Lefroy, was an important government official in Western Australia before the advent of responsible government....
July–23 July 1855			Frederick Barlee Frederick Barlee Sir Frederick Palgrave Barlee KCMG was Colonial Secretary of Western Australia from 1855 to 1875; Lieutenant-Governor of the British Honduras from 1877 to 1882; and Administrator of Trinidad in 1884....
23 July 1855–1857	Arthur Edward Kennedy Arthur Edward Kennedy Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy GCMG CB was a British colonial administrator who served as governor of a number of British colonies, namely Sierra Leone, Western Australia, Vancouver Island, Hong Kong and Queensland....
1857–1859					George Stone (acting)
1859–28 February 1862					George Stone
28 February 1862–31 January 1863	John Hampton John Hampton John Stephen Hampton was Governor of Western Australia from 1862 to 1868.-Early life:Little is known of John Hampton's early life. His death certificate states that he was born in 1810, but other evidence suggests 1806 or perhaps 1807; these latter figures are considered more likely...
31 January 1863–May 1866							William Newland
May 1866–15 May 1867							George Hampton George Hampton George Essex Hampton was an unpopular public official in colonial Western Australia.The son of Governor of Western Australia Dr John Hampton, George Hampton arrived in the colony with his father in February 1862 on board the Stathallen...  (acting)
15 May 1867–30 September 1869							Henry Wakeford
30 September 1869-1870	Frederick Weld Frederick Weld Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, GCMG , was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. He was the sixth Premier of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.-Early life:Weld was born near...

Unofficial nominee members, 1839–1867

In 1839 provision was made for the addition of four non-official nominee positions on the Legislative Council. The first four nominee members were sworn in on 4 March 1839. This is a list of non-official nominee members of the Legislative Council between 1839 and 1867.

Period	Nominee members
4 March 1839–1840	William Locke Brockman William Locke Brockman William Locke Brockman was an early settler in Western Australia, who became a leading pastoralist and stock breeder, and a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council....	George Leake George Leake (merchant) George Leake was a wealthy landholder in the early days of the Swan River Colony. Backed with considerable assets, Leake supported many of the early settlers of the colony who were struggling financially...	Thomas Peel Thomas Peel Mr. Peel, he moans, took him from England to Swan River, West Australia, means of subsistence and of production to the amount of £50,000. Mr. Peel had the foresight to bring with him, besides, 300 persons of the working-class, men, women, and children. Once arrived at his destination, "Mr. Peel was...	William Tanner
1840-May 1840	vacant
May 1840-31 March 1841	Edward Barrett-Lennard Edward Pomeroy Barrett-Lennard Edward Pomeroy Barrett-Lennard was an early settler in the Guildford area of Western Australia and later with his nephew Edmund Thomas Barrett-Lennard, the founder of the well known Western Australian Beverley family. He was the fifth son of Sir Thomas Barrett-Lennard, 1st Baronet, and Dorothy St...
31 March–April 1841			vacant
April–July 1841			Thomas Yule
July 1841–1842			William Mackie William Mackie William Henry Mackie was an early settler of the Swan River Colony holding a number of public positions including that of the first Judge of the colony. Mackie was born at Cochin, India and as a child returned to live in Derry before attending school in Twickenham, Middlesex...  (acting)
1842–June 1842	vacant
June–July 1842			Thomas Yule
July 1842–1843	William Mackie William Mackie William Henry Mackie was an early settler of the Swan River Colony holding a number of public positions including that of the first Judge of the colony. Mackie was born at Cochin, India and as a child returned to live in Derry before attending school in Twickenham, Middlesex...
1843–March 1844				vacant
March 1844–1846				Francis Singleton
1846–1847				vacant
1847–June 1847			vacant
June–September 1847				Walter Andrews
September 1847–1848				vacant
1848–October 1848			Richard Nash
October 1848–31 May 1849				Samuel Moore
31 May–July 1849		vacant
July–December 1849				vacant
December 1849–1850		Lionel Samson Lionel Samson Lionel Samson was an early Swan River Colony settler and businessman whose firm, Lionel Samson & Son, is the oldest continuing family business in Australia....
1850–December 1850				Marshall Clifton Marshall Clifton Marshall Waller Clifton was born 1 November 1787 at Alverstoke, near Gosport, Hampshire, England, to Rev. Francis Clifton and Rebekah Katherine ....
December 1850–May 1851			Thomas Brown Thomas Brown (Western Australian politician) Thomas Brown was an early settler in colonial Western Australia, and a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council....  (acting)
May 1851–May 1852			Thomas Brown Thomas Brown (Western Australian politician) Thomas Brown was an early settler in colonial Western Australia, and a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council....
May 1852–March 1855			William Clifton
March 1855–October 1856			John Wall Hardey
October 1856–March 1857		vacant
March–June 1857	Samuel Pole Phillips (acting)	Edward Hamersley Edward Hamersley (Snr) Edward Hamersley was an early settler in colonial Western Australia. He became a successful and wealthy pastoralist, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council. The Hamersley family became one of the most prominent families in the colony.Edward Hamersley was born at Sandgate,...
June 1857–April 1859	Samuel Pole Phillips
April–October 1859				vacant
October 1859–1867				Lionel Samson Lionel Samson Lionel Samson was an early Swan River Colony settler and businessman whose firm, Lionel Samson & Son, is the oldest continuing family business in Australia....

Unofficial nominee members, 1868–1870

During the 1860s there was much public debate about the possibility of instituting representative government. This culminated in June 1865 with the submission of a petition to the Legislative Council asking for a larger and partially elected Legislative Council. As a compromise, the Legislative Council sought permission to add two more nominee members. This permission was received in September 1867, but the Governor then went further by allowing the colony to informally elect six persons whom he would then nominate to the Legislative Council. The colony was divided into six districts: Perth, Fremantle, Guildford, Eastern Districts, Murray and Champion Bay. The first five of these district elected representatives who were then nominated to the Legislative Council as promised. The Champion Bay district, which had led the push for representative government, refused to participate in what it saw as a sham election, so the Governor nominated to the final seat his ally John Wall Hardey, who had polled only four votes in the Guildford district election. This arrangement prevailed until July 1870, when the Legislative Council was reconstituted under a system of representative government.

Period	Unofficially elected					Nominated
	Perth	Fremantle	Guildford	Eastern Districts	Murray
July 1868–May 1870	Julian Carr Julian Carr (Australian politician) Julian George Charles Carr was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 1868 to 1873.The son of William Carr, gentleman, Julian Carr was born in England around 1824. Nothing is known of his early life, but on 11 May 1846 he married Katherine Agnes Francisco, a cousin of Sir...	Walter Bateman Walter Bateman Walter Bateman was a Fremantle merchant who was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 1867 to 1870.The son of merchant John Bateman, Walter Bateman was born in London on 22 June 1826...	William Locke Brockman William Locke Brockman William Locke Brockman was an early settler in Western Australia, who became a leading pastoralist and stock breeder, and a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council....	Samuel Pole Phillips	James Lee Steere	John Wall Hardey
May–August 1870		Edward Newman