Edward William O'Sullivan

O'Sullivan was born in Launceston, Tasmania. His father deserted the family when he was a child and he was mainly educated by his mother. He began work at an early age as a printer's devil on the Hobart Mercury. Later he became a reporter; in 1869 he went to Sydney, but soon returned to Hobart and started a paper, the Tribune. This had some success but O'Sullivan sold it in 1873, went to Melbourne, and did journalistic work. He was editor of the St Arnaud Mercury for about three years. In 1878, he moved to Melbourne, married Agnes Ann Firman and started working a The Argus. In 1882, he went to Sydney and for about a year was overseer in the Daily Telegraph office.[1][2]

O'Sullivan took a prominent part in union circles and became president of the New South Wales Typographical Association and became President of the Trades and Labor Council for six months from March 1883. In 1884, he founded a working man's party the Democratic Alliance and its newspaper the Democrat, but both failed.[2]

In 1909 he became the third President of the New South Wales Rugby League in the year after incumbent secretary and founding father of the game Henry Hoyle resigned. Hoyle was replaced by ECV Broughton, however he stood down after just less than a month due to poor health. O'Sullivan resigned as a matter of principle, upon learning that a secret faction within the NSWRL had been plotting to pay the amateur Rugby Union Wallabies players to play games against the Australian national rugby league team, the Kangaroos.

In 1882, O'Sullivan was a candidate for the legislative assembly at West Sydney. but was defeated, and in 1885 was defeated for South Sydney. He was, however, returned for Queanbeyan a few days later, with the assistance of the Queanbeyan Age, edited by his friend, John Gale. He held the seat for about 18 years.[1][3]

In September 1899, O'Sullivan became Minister for Public Works in the Lyne ministry, and held the same position when John See became Premier until the ministry was defeated in June 1904. He was a most vigorous minister and was responsible for a great development of the tramway system, for the building of many new railways, and for many other public works in connexion with water-supply, roads, rivers, harbours and buildings, including the new Sydney railway station.[1] According to The Bulletin, his sketch for it has "all the salient features of the Colosseum, St Paul's, the Kremlin and a Yankee skyscraper".[2]

O'Sullivan held office for a few weeks in the Waddell ministry in 1904 as Secretary for Lands, but possibly from failing health was less prominent in politics win his later years. He, however, did good work as an alderman of the City of Sydney, and representing Belmore for six years was a useful member of the assembly.[1]

O'Sullivan died at Mosman of blood poisoning after a protracted illness. He was married, and left a widow, two sons and three daughters.[2]

O'Sullivan had three melodramas produced: Cooee Eureka Stockade and Keane, of Kalgoorlie (filmed in 1911).[2][4] He published during the 1890s Esperanza: a Tale of Three Colonies, and in 1906, Under the Southern Cross: Australian Sketches, Stories and Speeches.[1]