| First Cowper ministry | |
|---|---|
 2nd Cabinet of the Colony of New South Wales | |
  Premier Charles Cowper and the Colony of New South Wales (1856–1859) | |
| Date formed | 25 August 1856 (1856-08-25) |
| Date dissolved | 2 October 1856 (1856-10-02) |
| People and organisations | |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Governor | William Denison |
| Head of government | Charles Cowper |
| No. of ministers | 6 |
| Member party | unaligned |
| Status in legislature | Minority government |
| Opposition party | unaligned |
| Opposition leader | |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Donaldson ministry |
| Successor | Parker ministry |
The first Cowper ministry was the second ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by Charles Cowper. It was the first of five occasions that Cowper was Leader of the Government. Cowper was elected in the first free elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly held in March 1856, and fought unsuccessfully with Stuart Donaldson to form Government. When Donaldson's Government faltered a little over two months after it was formed, Cowper formed Government.
The title of Premier was widely used to refer to the Leader of Government, but not enshrined in formal use until 1920.
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. Charles Cowper and Robert Campbell were comfortably re-elected in the by election for Sydney City. James Martin (Cook and Westmoreland) and Terence Murray (Southern Boroughs) were re-elected unopposed.
This ministry covers the period from 26 August 1856 until on 2 October 1856, when Cowper resigned his commission, having lost the confidence of the Assembly.
Composition of ministry
| Portfolio | Minister | Term start | Term end | Term length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Colonial Secretary |
Charles Cowper | 26 August 1856 | 2 October 1856 | 37 days |
| Colonial Treasurer | Robert Campbell | |||
| Attorney General | James Martin | |||
| Solicitor General Representative of the Government in the Legislative Council |
Alfred Lutwyche MLC | |||
| Secretary for Lands and Works | Terence Murray | |||
| Auditor-General | 17 September 1856 | 23 days |
Ministers are members of the Legislative Assembly unless otherwise noted.
See also
- Self-government in New South Wales
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1856–1858
- Second Cowper ministry (1857–1859)
- Third Cowper ministry (1861–1863)
- Fourth Cowper ministry (1865–1866)
- Fifth Cowper ministry (1870)
References
- ^ "Part 6 Ministries since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- Twomey, Anne (2004). The Constitution of New South Wales. Federation Press. pp. 442. ISBN 9781862875166. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- Green, Antony. "1856 Sydney City by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- Green, Antony. "1856 Cook and Westmoreland by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- Green, Antony. "1856 Southern Boroughs by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- Ward, John M. "Cowper, Sir Charles (1807–1875)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
| Preceded byDonaldson ministry | First Cowper ministry 1856 |
Succeeded byParker ministry |
