The Parkes ministry or First Parkes ministry was the fourteenth ministry of the Colony 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...

, and the first of five occasions of being led by the Premier

Premiers of New South Wales

The Premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature...

, the Honourable 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...

.
Having served in 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 1854 and 1856, Parkes was elected in the first free elections 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...

 held in 1856, however resigned from Parliament later that year. He served in the Assembly on several occasions, between 1858 and 1870, being forced to resign on at least on occasion due to his personal insolvency. He came to power as Premier on the first occasion after the Sir James Martin

James Martin (Australian politician)

Sir James Martin, KCB, QC was three times Premier of New South Wales, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 1873 to 1886.-Early career:...

 ministry had involved itself in a petty squabble with the colony of Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 over a question of border duties. The acting-governor had sent for William Forster before parliament met, but he was unable to form a ministry, and in May 1872 Parkes formed his first ministry.

There was no party system in New South Wales politics until 1887. Under the constitution, ministers were required to resign to recontest their seats in a by-election when appointed. These by-elections are only noted when the minister was defeated; in general, he was elected unopposed.

This ministry covers the period from 14 May 1872 until 8 February 1875, when Parkes lost the confidence of the Assembly following Governor Robinson

Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead

Hercules George Robert Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead, GCMG, PC was a British colonial administrator who became the 5th Governor of Hong Kong...

's decision to release of the bushranger

Bushranger

Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...

 Frank Gardiner

Frank Gardiner

Frank Gardiner was a noted Australian bushranger of the 19th century. He was born in Scotland about 1827 and migrated from to Australia as a child with his parents in 1834,. His real name was Francis Christie, though he often used one of several other aliases including Gardiner, Clarke or Christie...

 led to the defeat of the ministry.

Composition of ministry

Portfolio	Minister	Term commence	Term end	Term of office
Premier Colonial Secretary Chief Secretary The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...	Hon. 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...  MLA	14 May 1872	8 February 1875
Colonial Treasurer Treasurer of New South Wales The Treasurer of New South Wales, known from 1856–1959 as the Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales, is the minister in the Government of New South Wales responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising and is the head of the New South Wales Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in...	Hon. William Piddington William Piddington William Richman Piddington was an Australian bookseller and politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1856 and 1877 and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1879 until his death...  MLA		4 December 1872	days
	Hon. George Lloyd George Lloyd (politician) George Lloyd was an Australian politician, elected as a member for Newcastle from 1869 to 1877, 1880 to 1882 and 1885 to 1887....  MLA	5 December 1872	8 February 1875
Secretary for Lands	Hon. James Farnell MLA	14 May 1872	8 February 1875
Secretary for Mines		9 May 1874	26 July 1874	days
	Hon. Robert Abbott MLA	27 July 1874	8 February 1875	days
Secretary for Public Works	Hon. John Sutherland MLA	15 May 1872	8 February 1875
Attorney-General	Hon. Edward Butler  MLA		10 November 1873
	Hon. Joseph Innes MLA	20 November 1873	8 February 1875
Solicitor-General		14 May 1872	19 November 1873
Minister for Justice and Public Instruction	Hon. George Allen George Wigram Allen Sir George Wigram Allen KCMG was an Australian politician and philanthropist. He was Speaker in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1875–1883....  MLA	9 December 1873	8 February 1875
Postmaster-General	Hon. George Lloyd George Lloyd (politician) George Lloyd was an Australian politician, elected as a member for Newcastle from 1869 to 1877, 1880 to 1882 and 1885 to 1887....  MLA	14 May 1872	4 December 1872	days
	Hon. Saul Samuel Saul Samuel Sir Saul Samuel CMG, KCMG, CB was an Australian colonial merchant, member of parliament, pastoralist, and prominent Jew...  MLC	3 December 1872	8 February 1875
Vice-President of the Executive Council Representative of the Government in Legislative Council		14 May 1872

Without salary as Secretary for Mines

Without a seat in Cabinet from 9 December 1873

See also

• 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...
  
   - seventh Premier of New South Wales
• Self-government in New South Wales
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1872–1874
  Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1872–1874
  This is a list of members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1872 to 1874. Elections for the seventh Legislative Assembly were held between 13 February and 28 March 1872 with parliament first meeting on 30 April 1872. There were 72 members elected for 52 single member electorates, 6...
  
  
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1874–1877
  Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1874–1877
  This is a list of members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1874 to 1877. Elections for the eighth Legislative Assembly were held between 8 December 1874 and 12 January 1875 with parliament first meeting on 27 January 1875. There were 72 members elected for 52 single member...
  
  
• Second Parkes ministry (1877)
  Parkes ministry (1877)
  The Parkes ministry or Second Parkes ministry was the sixteenth ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by the Premier, the Honourable Henry Parkes...
  
  
• Third Parkes ministry (1878–1883)
  Parkes ministry (1878–1883)
  The Parkes ministry or Third Parkes ministry was the nineteenth ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by the seventh Premier, the Honourable Henry Parkes...
  
  
• Fourth Parkes ministry (1887–1889)
  Parkes ministry (1887-1889)
  The Parkes ministry or Fourth Parkes ministry was the 24th ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by the seventh Premier, the Honourable Sir Henry Parkes, KCMG...
  
  
• Fifth Parkes ministry (1889–1891)
  Parkes ministry (1889-1891)
  The Parkes ministry or Fifth Parkes ministry was the 26th ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by the seventh Premier, the Honourable Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG...