The Forster ministry was the fifth ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and was led by the Premier, the Honourable William Forster. Forster was elected in the first free elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly held in March 1856. He was asked to form Government after the second Cowper ministry lost an educational bill in the Assembly.
There was no party system in New South Wales politics until 1887. Under the constitution, ministers were required to resign to recontest their seats in a by-election when appointed. These by-elections are only noted when the minister was defeated; in general, he was elected unopposed.
This ministry covers the period of just four months from 27 October 1859 until 8 March 1860, when Forster resigned his commission.[1][2]
| Portfolio | Minister | Term commence | Term end | Term of office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Colonial Secretary |
Hon. William Forster MLA | 27 October 1859 | 8 March 1860 | 133 days |
| Colonial Treasurer | Hon. Saul Samuel MLA | |||
| Secretary for Lands | Hon. John Black MLA | |||
| Secretary for Public Works Representative of the Government in Legislative Council |
Hon. Geoffrey Eagar MLC | |||
| Attorney-General | Hon. Edward Wise MLA1 | 27 October 1859 | 13 February 1860 | 109 days |
| Hon. Sir William Manning MLA | 21 February 1860 | 8 March 1860 | 16 days | |
| Solicitor-General | Hon. John Hargrave MLA | 3 November 1859 | 126 days |
| Preceded by Cowper ministry (1857–1859) |
Forster ministry 1859–1860 |
Succeeded by Robertson ministry (1860–1861) |
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