The Farmers' and Settlers' Association of New South Wales was an umbrella organisation of farmers' and selectors' associations in New South Wales, founded in 1893.

History

The Association was formed in 1893 as the outcome of a conference held in Cootamundra, which adopted the Name and Constitution as published in the ''Cootamundra Herald''. :It was, at least in part, a reaction to the successes achieved by the Pastoralists' Union, who had just come from a crushing defeat of the

Shearers' Union The Amalgamated Shearers' Union of Australasia was an early Australian trade union. It was formed in January 1887 with the amalgamation of the Wagga Shearers Union and Bourke Shearers Union in New South Wales with the Victoria (Australia), Victori ...

. They had succeeded in lobbying for their interests as large landholders, often against the farmers' interests. The foundation president was G. F. Plunkett (c. 1847–1902) and the secretary M. M. Ryan, (c. 1859 – 21 August 1919), who acted as delegates to the land conference held at Cootamundra, their appointments ratified, along with the election of W. Walsh as treasurer. The first annual conference of delegates from subscribing farmers' unions was held in

Young Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...

a year later, on 25 July 1894. They resolved that Government should release more land for farming, but with the proviso, to prevent further land-grabbing by wealthy pastoralists, that successful selectors must live on their claims. It also called for extension of the railways into the new areas, also the establishment of a State Bank. In its early years much debate centred on the competing fiscal philosophies: protectionism v. free trade, the free-traders generally having the upper hand. Conversely perhaps, Federation was welcomed for freeing up interstate markets. The rabbit pest was a perennial topic. Following conferences included: Cootamundra 6 August 1895 Wagga 11 August 1896 Wagga 31 August 1897 Bathurst 23 August 1898 Orange 15 August 1899 (Hosting the conference in Bathurst and Orange stimulated interest there in farmers' unions, which had previously been lacking.) Sydney 5 July 1900 Tamworth 10 July 1901 Sydney 8 July 1902 Dubbo 7 June 1904 Sydney 8 August 1905 An indication of the political importance of the organisation may be judged by the attention paid to the conventions by the Press. The ''Sydney Morning Herald'', which paid scant attention to its existence, for its tenth annual convention devoted whole pages to each of the five days' deliberations. Sydney was again chosen as the venue as, while holding meetings at country centres resulted in new branches being formed, a central venue meant greater participation. In October 1919 the F&S joined with the Graziers' Association of New South Wales and the People's Party of Soldiers and Citizens to form the Progressive Party of New South Wales, later to become New South Wales National Party. In the 1950s the F&S was vigilant in exposing the threat of Communism, and its infiltration into seemingly innocent organisations. In August 1961 the F&S and Wheat and Wool Growers Association combined to found the United Farmers and Woolgrowers' Association

Some notable members

* A. E. Hunt, president 1914–1916 * A. K. Trethowan MLC held many positions, including president 1916–1920 and treasurer 1930–1937. * W. W. Killen, co-founder and president 1920–1922 * Walter Corrie Cambridge (died 1954) was a long-serving (1925–1945) secretary, later with '' The Land''.

Newspaper

*See also main article In 1906 the Association's executive authorised publication by The Farmer and Settler Publishing Company of 435 Kent Street, Sydney of a weekly newspaper, ''

The Farmer & Settler ''The Farmer & Settler'', later published as ''The Farmer & Settler and Livestock Breeders Journal'', was an English-language broadsheet newspaper published in Sydney, Australia between 1906 and 1957. It was primarily published weekly. Histor ...

'', with T. I. Campbell, secretary of the Association, as editor. Campbell proved ineffectual in the position, and

Harry J. Stephens Harry James Stephens (c. 1866 – 25 August 1947) was an Australian journalist with a long career, mostly in Victoria and New South Wales agricultural districts. He was with '' The Farmer & Settler'' of Sydney for fourteen years and while editing ...

was ''de facto'' editor from September 1906. In July 1907 a private company, the Farmers' and Settlers' Publishing Company Limited, with £20,000 in £1 shares, took over operation of the newspaper. In 1909 the company sued Campbell for breach of contract, but lost the case because of irregularities in the contract, and the newspaper was driven to insolvency. Campbell remained general secretary of the F & S until retiring in 1925. At the Association's 1910 convention the executive was authorised to again establish an official newspaper, and on 27 January 1911 the first issues of '' The Land'' were printed, to a barrage of criticism from the ''Farmer and Settler''.

References

{{Reflist 1893 establishments in Australia Organisations based in New South Wales Organizations established in 1893

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Lobbying organisations in Australia