PARKER, Sir Henry Watson (1808-1881)

premier of New South Wales

was the son of Thomas Watson Parker of Lewisham, Kent, England, and was born in 1808. He came to Sydney in 1838 as private secretary to Sir George Gipps (q.v.), and in 1846 was nominated by the governor as a member of the legislative council of New South Wales. In May of that year he was elected chairman of committees and was again and again reelected to this position until the coming in of responsible government in 1856. He was a candidate for the speakership in May but was defeated by one vote, Daniel Cooper (q.v.) being elected. In September 1856 J. Hay (q.v.) carried a vote of no-confidence in the Cowper (q.v.) ministry. He recommended to Governor Denison (q.v.) that Parker would be the most likely man to conciliate parties, and that he should be asked to form a coalition government. Parker offered seats in the cabinet to Cowper and Donaldson (q.v.), the preceding premiers, but Cowper declined. In March 1857 Parker passed an act re-establishing the Sydney municipal council, and other useful legislation was also passed. It had been intended to bring in a land bill but the government was defeated on its electoral bill, and Parker resigned on 4 September 1857. In 1858 he returned to England. He does not appear to have ever revisited Australia, and died at Richmond on 2 February 1881. He was knighted in 1858 and created K.C.M.G. in 1877. He married in 1843 Emmeline Emily, third daughter of John Macarthur, who survived him without issue.

The Times, 5 February 1881; The Official History of New South Wales; Historical Records of Australia, ser. I, vol. XXV.