The second Robertson ministry was the eleventh ministry of the
Colony of New South Wales
The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia. At its greatest extent, the colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of New ...
, and was led by
John Robertson John, Jon, or Jonathan Robertson may refer to:
Politicians United Kingdom politicians
*J. M. Robertson (John Mackinnon Robertson, 1856–1933), British journalist and Liberal MP for Tyneside 1906–1918
*John Robertson (Bothwell MP) (1867–1926), ...
. It was the second of five occasions that Robertson was Leader of the Government. Robertson was elected in the first free elections for the
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House ...
held in
March 1856.
The title of
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
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.
Such ministerial by-elections were usually uncontested and on this occasion a poll was required at
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by m ...
(
Saul Samuel
Sir Saul Samuel, 1st Baronet (2 November 182029 August 1900) was an Australian colonial merchant, member of parliament, pastoralist, and prominent Jew. Samuel achieved many breakthroughs for Jews in the colonial community of New South Wales in ...
) however he was comfortably re-elected with 69% of the vote. The other ministers were all re-elected unopposed.
This ministry covers the period from 27 October 1868 until 12 January 1870, when Robertson resigned his commission after he failed to gain support of the Assembly.
Robertson stood aside for his colleague,
Charles Cowper
Sir Charles Cowper (), (26 April 1807 – 19 October 1875) was an Australian politician and the Premier of New South Wales on five occasions from 1856 to 1870.
Cowper did useful work but does not rank among the more distinguished Australian ...
.
Composition of ministry
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, 1864–1869
*
First Robertson ministry (1860–1861)
*
Third Robertson ministry (1875–1877)
*
Fourth Robertson ministry (1877)
*
Fifth Robertson ministry (1885–1886)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson ministry (1868-1870)
New South Wales ministries
1868 establishments in Australia
1870 disestablishments in Australia