26 Facts About Albert Gould

Sir Albert John Gould, VD was an Australian politician and solicitor who served as the second president of the Australian Senate.

Albert Gould later served two years in the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1899 to 1901 until his election to the Australian Senate.

Albert Gould's tenure is remembered as more traditionalist and Anglophilic than his predecessor's.

Albert Gould was active in community and religious affairs during his long retirement.

Albert Gould was born in Sydney, the son of solicitor John Morton Albert Gould and his wife Anne.

Albert Gould attended William Woolls' school in Parramatta, and went on to study law at the University of Sydney, although he did not take a degree.

Albert Gould served his articles with his father and was admitted to the bar in December 1870.

Albert Gould then worked in Singleton for a Sydney legal firm.

Albert Gould developed significant business interests, being involved with the Great Cobar Copper Mining syndicate and serving as a director of the Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation, the City Bank of Sydney and the Oriental Timber Corporation.

Albert Gould was a citizen soldier, enlisting as a volunteer in the West Maitland company of the New South Wales volunteer forces.

Albert Gould later took command of the Singleton Company, becoming a major in 1886.

Albert Gould later received the Volunteer Officers' Decoration for long service; he would retire from the regiment in 1902 as a lieutenant-colonel.

In 1882, Albert Gould was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Patrick's Plains.

Albert Gould was defeated in the election of that year, but in 1899 he was one of Premier Reid's twelve appointments to the Legislative Council that enabled the passage of the legislation for a referendum on Federation.

Albert Gould was elected in the third of six positions, entitling him to a six-year term.

Albert Gould was involved in defence matters, supporting the introduction of conscription and maintaining loyalty to the Empire, where "there are men much more experienced in the principles of government than we are".

At the 1906 election, Albert Gould was easily re-elected in the first position, winning the largest vote for any senator to that time.

From 1901 Albert Gould maintained an interest in the procedure of the Senate, and was a member of the standing orders committee from its appointment in 1901 until 1907.

Albert Gould had supported the opening of Senate proceedings with prayer and had made frequent reference to the standing orders of the British House of Commons.

Albert Gould contested the Presidency of the Senate in 1904, but was defeated by the incumbent, Sir Richard Baker.

On Baker's retirement, Albert Gould was unanimously elected President on 20 February 1907.

Albert Gould endeavoured to keep the Senate representative of the states' interests and free from party politics, and his rulings focused on unparliamentary language and relevance.

Albert Gould, appointed Knight Bachelor in 1908, differed from his predecessor in his adherence to British influence.

Deeply offended, Albert Gould nevertheless elected to retire rather than run as an independent and split the Nationalist vote.

Albert Gould died in July 1936 at Rose Bay aged 89; he was survived by two sons and three daughters.

Albert Gould was given a state funeral at St Andrew's Cathedral and was buried at South Head Cemetery.