State Government of Tasmania beginning 24 November 1866 - period in office of Premier Dry, Richard ending on 4 August 1869
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAS 3 October 1866 | James Whyte | Support from parliamentary factions and independents | Richard Dry | Support from parliamentary factions and independents |
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Notes
Loss of election (Whyte): Beginning of Dry's period in office: Charles Meredith, the Colonial Treasurer in Whyte's government and leader of the government in the House of Assembly, introduced a proposal for a property and income tax which was defeated. 'As nobody was prepared to carry on the government, an election was inevitable and Parliament was dissolved. The election on the old narrow franchise resulted in a defeat for the supporters of Whyte and Meredith who resigned as soon as the new Parliament opened on 20 November, 1866', Reynolds, p. 136, (see 'References', below). Dry was then commissioned to form a government.
Premier in upper house: Dry accepted his commission as Premier while a member of the Legislative Council. He was the third of several Tasmanian premiers to hold the office while a member of the Legislative Council. During Dry's period in office, his Colonial Treasurer, Thomas Daniel Chapman was leader of the government in the House of Assembly.
Death of Premier (Dry): Dry died in office on 1 August 1869 and a new government was commissioned on 4 August.
References: For a description of the style of parliamentary government in this period, see John Reynolds, 'Premiers and Political Leaders', in F C Green (editor), Tasmania: A Century of Responsible Government 1856-1956, pp 115-192, (Hobart: L G Shea, Government Printer, [1956]), and note Terry Newman, Tasmanian Premiers 1856-1988: A Biographical Handbook, (Hobart: Tasmanian Parliamentary Library, [1988]).
For a survey of Dry's career, see John Reynolds, 'Dry, Sir Richard (1815 - 1869)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, pp 329-330, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1966), on line at: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010313b.htm.
Sources
'Ministries: Names of the Members of Successive Ministries which have held Office in Tasmania since the inauguration of Responsible Government, together with the Dates of Appointment and Retirement', Journal of House of Assembly, Second Session of the Forty-Fifth Parliament of Tasmania, Anno LIII and LV Eliz II; Session 2 of the 45th Parliament, Volume 251, 2004-2006, (Hobart: Government Printer, Tasmania).