27 Facts About Charles Cowper

Sir Charles Cowper, was an Australian politician and the Premier of New South Wales on five occasions from 1856 to 1870.

Charles Cowper's governments had a fairly coherent liberal tendency, a trend which continued with the governments of Henry Parkes and later developed into the Free Trade Party.

Charles Cowper probably deserved this title no more than Bishop Wilberforce deserved his of "Soapy Sam", but Rusden speaks of Charles Cowper as "ever anxious to link himself with a majority" and frequently shows animus when speaking of him.

Charles Cowper was personally popular, and towards the end of his life the estate of Wivenhoe was purchased by public subscription and settled on his wife.

Charles Cowper was born in Drypool, Hull, Yorkshire, England and was brought to Sydney by his father in 1809.

In 1831 Charles Cowper married the second daughter of Daniel Sutton.

Charles Cowper was first elected as the member of the Legislative Council for the County of Cumberland in 1843 after a bitter contest against James Macarthur and held his seat until 1850.

Charles Cowper had opposed transportation since the 1840s and had presided at a public meeting protesting plans to revive transportation in October 1846.

Charles Cowper fought transportation vigorously in the Council and in May 1851 he became president of the Australasian League for the Abolition of Transportation, which included representatives of New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and New Zealand.

When responsible government was established, Charles Cowper was elected a member of the first Legislative Assembly in 1856 for Sydney City, which he represented until its abolition in 1859.

Charles Cowper was offered and declined the position of Colonial Secretary in the first ministry under the leadership of S A Donaldson.

Charles Cowper subsequently opposed Parker's proposal to create 40 new members in the House, and distribute them according to population, because it did not widen the franchise.

In September 1857, the Parker Government was defeated and resigned, and Charles Cowper became Premier again.

Charles Cowper did well enough to remain Premier, but he did not have a reliable majority.

Charles Cowper's Government amended the Electoral Act to provide vote by secret ballot, universal manhood suffrage, representation primarily by population and more equal electoral districts.

At the June 1859 election, Charles Cowper was returned for East Sydney.

Charles Cowper's government was beaten on a vote on his educational bill on 26 October 1859 and Cowper resigned from the Assembly the next day.

In March 1860, Charles Cowper was appointed to a five-year term in the Legislative Council.

At the election, Charles Cowper returned to the Assembly representing East Sydney.

Early in this year Charles Cowper introduced a bill intended to substitute elected members for the nominee members of the Legislative Council.

Subsequently, the Charles Cowper Government passed the Torrens title legislation and the abolition of state aid to religion, although it did not succeed in passing Charles Cowper's education bill, which would have amalgamated the religious and government school systems.

In October 1863, Charles Cowper's government was defeated amidst criticism of its financial management and Martin became Premier.

Charles Cowper's party won the February 1865 election and he became Premier for the fourth time, but he had difficulty in maintaining control of the Assembly.

Charles Cowper was Premier for the last time in January 1870 and was appointed Agent-General for New South Wales in London at the end of that year.

Charles Cowper died in London on 19 October 1875 and was survived by Lady Cowper and children.

Charles Cowper is buried in a family grave on the western side of Highgate Cemetery.

Charles Cowper was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1869, and a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1872.