John Hay (politician)

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Sir John Hay KCMG (23 June 1816 – 20 January 1892) was a New South Wales politician.

Hay was the son of John Hay, and was born at Little Ythsie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He graduated with honours at the university of Aberdeen in 1834, and then studied law at Edinburgh. Coming to Sydney in 1838 he took up land in the Murrumbidgee district and became a successful squatter. Early in 1856 he was elected member for Murrumbidgee in the legislative assembly, and in the following September moved a vote of no-confidence in the Cowper ministry, which was carried. Hay recommended to governor William Denison that Henry W. Parker should be asked to form a coalition ministry in which Hay was secretary for lands and works. This ministry was defeated in September 1857 and Hay did not again hold office.

In June 1860 Hay moved that negotiations should be opened up with Victoria for the purpose of establishing a uniformity of customs duties. This would have been a valuable step towards a federation system, but his motion was defeated. On 14 October 1862 Hay was unanimously elected speaker of the legislative assembly, but three years later, finding his health had been affected, he resigned this position. In June 1867 he was nominated a member of the legislative council and in July 1873 was appointed its president. He held this position until his death on 20 January 1892. He married in 1838 Mary, daughter of James Chalmers, who survived him for only a few days. He had no children. He was created K.C.M.G. in 1878.

Hay was not a party man but he had knowledge and wisdom, and though he originated little he was a good speaker and debater who had no little influence on the legislation of his time. He had a strong sense of justice, much kindliness and courtesy, and carried out his duties as speaker of the assembly and president of the council with great ability.

[edit] References

• Serle, Percival. (1949). "Hay, John". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1949 edition of Dictionary of Australian Biography from
Project Gutenberg of Australia, which is in the public domain in Australia and the United States of America.