State Government of Tasmania beginning 15 August 1884 - period in office of Premier Douglas, Ayde ending on 8 March 1886
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')
This premier did not win office as the result of an election, and was not (or has not been) in office long enough to contest an election as premier ; see 'Period in office' table above.
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Notes
Resignation of premier (Giblin): Beginning of Douglas's period in office: Giblin's failing health led to his resignation as Premier in favour of Douglas whose ministry had similar parliamentary support to that of Giblin's, maintaining the so-called 'Continuous Ministry'; see Reynolds, pp 151-167 (see 'References', below).
Premier in upper house: Douglas accepted his commission as Premier while a member of the Legislative Council. He was the seventh Tasmanian premier to hold the office while a member of the Legislative Council. His Attorney-General, John Stockell Dodds, remained in office from Giblin's ministry 'as the real head of the Government' in the House of Assembly, Reynolds, p. 165, (see 'References', below).
Resignation of premier (Douglas): Douglas resigned as Premier after nominating himself to the newly created position of Tasmanian Agent-General in London; see Reynolds, p. 165, (see 'References', below).
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 Douglas's career, see P T McKay, F C Green, 'Douglas, Sir Adye (1815 - 1906)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4, pp 87-77, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1972), on line at: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A040085b.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).