EDMUND BARTON     

      The 1st Australian Prime Minister, Edmund Barton was a great man who opening the first federal Parliament. He was 52 years old when he elected to be the 1st Australian Prime Minister. He had a portly dignity and a heroic profile, with a head of wavy hair, white skin, charming, witty, but quietly determined, he was very much a man of the world.

      Edmund Barton, who has a nicknamed “Toby” was an excellent student. He won prizes and scholarship in his progress through Sydney school and the University of Sydney. He graduated with honours in classics in 1868 and as MA in 1870. In 1871, he founded a successful legal practice and, like many another lawyer, Young Barton soon became interested in politics. Elected to the NSW Legislative assembly in 1979, he became the youngest-ever Speaker of the House at the age of 34. For four years, Barton dedicated himself for his duty. During his early parliamentary career, the long-debated issue of federation became an increasingly heated subject in the political arenas of Australia. Barton, convinced that federation was the key to Australia’s future, allied himself to the Federalist led by Sir Henry Parkes. When Parkes retired from his duty in 1891, Barton had been such adaptation from the old one because he was the natural successor to Sir Henry Parkes. For ten years he devoted himself physically and intellectually to federation. He inspired the formation of the Australian Federation League, which played a vital role in moulding public opinion.

      In 1897, as leader of the federationConvention, he presided over a new Constitution bill. The Bill had to cover innumerable explosive issues, including the location of a Federal capital, but it was at last accepted in Australia. Barton and his colleagues then had to negotiate it through the Westminster Parliament. On 9 July 1900, Queen Victoria decided to establish the Commonwealth of Australia. And make a decision to choose Barton as the first Prime minister of the Commonwealth, who led the Protectionist party.

EDMUND BARTON’S CHRONOLOGY

Party : Protectionist

Birth/ place : 18 January 1849/Glebe, Sydney

Died 07 Jan 1920 at Medlow bath, New South Wales

Father’s Occupation: Accountant/stockbroker

Religion: Church of England

Electorate : Hunter

State : New South Wales

Parliamentary service:

State ® Stood for the Legislative Assembly seat of Sydney University in 1877
· Elected to the Legislative Assembly, New South Wales, for
· Sydney University in 1879, For Wellington, in 1880, for East Sydney from 1882 – 1887, and again from   1891-1894, and for Hastings-Macleay from 1898-1899.
· Member of the Legislative Council 1887-91 and 1897-98
· Federal® Elected to the house of Representatives for Hunter at the general election in 1901. Resigned   in September 1903

Parliamentery Positions: State® Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, 1883-87

Ministerial Appointments:
* State® Attorney – General, 1889, and again, 1891 – 93
· Federal ® Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs
· in the first commonwealth Government , 1901-03

Conferences : United Kingdom for the Coronation of Edward VII, 1901 – 02

Parliamentary Party Position :
* State® Leader of the New South Wales Opposition, 1898 – 99
· Federal® Leader of The Protectionist party, 1901 – 03

Other position :
- member of the Australian Convention, Sydney, 1891
- Senior Representatives, New South Wales, to the Australian federal Convention, 1897 – 98, and leader of the Convention
- Leader of the delegation to London with the Australian commonwealth Bill, 1900
- High Court Judge, 1903 – 20

Education :
- Schooling ® Model School in Fort’s Street’, Sydney, 1865 – 58
- Sydney Grammar school, 1859 – 65
- Joined Sydney Mechanics’ school of Arts to learn debating
- Qualifications ® BA (Sydney)
- Qualifications ® MA (Sydney)

Occupations :
- Barrister
- Queen’s Counsel, 1889
- Senior Puisne Judge of the High Court of Australia, 1903 – 20

Honours :
- King’s Counsel, 1902
- Privy Councillor, 1900
- Knight grand cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, 1902
- Order of the Rising Sun, Japan, First – class, 1903