State Government of New South Wales beginning 27 October 1868 - period in office of Premier Robertson, John ending on 13 January 1870
Period in office of premier (see Glossary entry for 'period in office' and related terms)
Parliamentary support during period
Coalition partner 1
Number of ministers at beginning of period (this may vary during the period)
Assembly elections contested as premier or after which became premier (see Glossary entry for 'after election')
| Election | Premier at election | Premier's party | Premier after election | Premier's party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW 16 October 1885 | George Richard Dibbs | Support from parliamentary factions and independents | John Robertson | Support from parliamentary factions and independents |
| NSW 24 October 1877 | John Robertson | Support from parliamentary factions and independents | James Squire Farnell | Support from parliamentary factions and independents |
| NSW 8 December 1874 | Henry Parkes | Support from parliamentary factions and independents | John Robertson | Support from parliamentary factions and independents |
| NSW 3 December 1869 | John Robertson | Support from parliamentary factions and independents | John Robertson | Support from parliamentary factions and independents |
| NSW 6 December 1860 | John Robertson | Support from parliamentary factions and independents | John Robertson | Support from parliamentary factions and independents |
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Notes
Resignation of premier (Martin): Beginning of Robertson's second period in office; 'Vote on confidence motion evenly divided. Speaker used casting vote to support government, but Martin resigned', see Clune and Turner, vol. 1 table 3, pp. 228-229 (see 'Sources', below). Robertson was then commissioned to form a government.
Resignation of premier (Robertson): Robertson retained support for his government at the election called at the end of 1869 but, once his electoral success was confirmed, 'Resigned in favour of Cowper', see Clune and Turner, vol. 1 table 3, pp. 228-229 (see 'Sources', below).
References: For a description and analysis of the style of parliamentary government in this period, see David Clune and Ken Turner, 'Introduction: The Colonial Premiers', pp. 1-12, in Clune and Turner vol. 1 (see, 'Sources', below), and Peter Loveday and A W Martin, Parliament, Factions and Parties: The First Thirty Years of Responsible Government in New South Wales, 1856-1889, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1966).
For a survey of Robertson's political career, see Trevor McMinn, 'John (later Sir John) Robertson', in Clune and Turner, vol. 1, pp. 81-101 (see 'Sources', below), and Bede Nairn, 'Robertson, Sir John (1816-1891)', in Bede Nairn (general editor), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 6, pp. 38-46, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1976, ISBN 0522841082).
Sources
David Clune and Ken Turner (editors), The Premiers of New South Wales, vol. 1, (1856-1901), (Sydney: Federation Press, 2006, ISBN 186287550); G N Hawker, The Parliament of New South Wales 1856-1965, appendix C, (Ultimo, NSW: Government Printer, 1971); New South Wales, Parliament, The New South Wales Parliamentary Record: Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly, 1824-1999, vol. VI, pp. 246-308, (Sydney: Parliament of New South Wales, 1999). In consulting these sources, note the difference between ministries and periods in office.