James Tonkin

James Ebenezer Tonkin (1835 – 8 May 1906) was an English-born Australian politician.

He was born in the West End of London to bedstead manufacturer James Tonkin and Jemima Stephens, and migrated to Melbourne in 1854. He was a goldminer at Ballarat, Bendigo, Mount Alexander and Ararat, and from 1856 to 1859 pursued business in Geelong. He followed the gold rush to New Zealand, but returned to Victoria in 1866, moving to New South Wales in 1868. During his time in New Zealand he married Mary Ann Smith, with whom he had twelve children. In 1870 he settled in the Bathurst district, becoming a contractor and hotelier.[1] He was also a City of Bathurst councillor for 5 1/2 years from 1879.[2]

In 1887 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as one of two Free Trade members for East Macquarie.[3] On 21 July 1892 he was made bankrupt on his own petition,[4] and forced to resign.[1][5] He was re-elected at the resulting by-election.[3][6] Multi-member districts were abolished in 1894 and Tonkin was the Free Trade candidate for Macquarie which partly replaced East Macquarie, winning the seat in 1894 but was defeated in 1895.[7] He did not hold ministerial or other office.[1]

He died at Glebe in 1906 (aged 71).[1][8]

References
  1. "Mr James Ebenezer Tonkin (1835-1906)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  2. "Mr. J. E. Tonkin". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. 23 April 1887. p. 842. Retrieved 1 February 2019 – via Trove.
  3. Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of East Macquarie". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  4. "In Bankruptcy: James Ebenezer Tonkin". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 538. 26 July 1892. p. 6102. Retrieved 4 September 2020 – via Trove.
  5. "East Macquarie". The Australian Star. 25 July 1892. p. 6. Retrieved 1 February 2019 – via Trove.
  6. "New South Wales Parliament: The opening ceremony". The Sydney Morning Herald. 31 August 1892. p. 5. Retrieved 1 February 2019 – via Trove.
  7. Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Macquarie". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  8. "Death: James Ebenezer Tonkin". The Daily Telegraph. 10 May 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 23 April 2021 – via Trove.

 

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