John Sutherland (New South Wales politician)

John Sutherland (16 February 1816 – 23 June 1889) was a builder and politician in colonial New South Wales.[1][2]

John Sutherland, 1874 engraving

Sutherland was born near Wick, Caithness in Scotland, and emigrated to New South Wales, arriving in 1838.[1] Sutherland married Mary Ogilvie on 2 May 1839. They had two sons, who died young, and a daughter.[2]

Having been very successful as a builder, he was elected an alderman of Sydney in 1857, and was mayor in 1861.[1] His principal municipal work was in connection with the sewerage of the metropolis. In 1860 he was returned to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the district of Paddington,[3] which included the suburbs of Paddington and Redfern.[4] He was Secretary for Public Works in the second Robertson and fifth Cowper ministries from October 1868 to December 1870, in the first Parkes ministry from May 1872 to February 1875 and in the Farnell ministry from December 1877 to December 1878.[5] In October 1881 he was one of nine royal commissioners appointed to enquire into the working of the Friendly Societies Act.[6]

He held Paddington until February 1880, when he resigned because his company had a government contract re-distribution.[2] At the 1880 election he chose to contest the new district of Redfern,[7] before resigning in December 1881,[8] when he was appointed to the Legislative Council.[9] He did not take his seat in the council,[5] and formally resigned in November 1882,[10] in order to contest Redfern at the 1882 election, representing Redfern until his death in 1889.[7] He was Sectretary for Public Works for a fifth time in the fourth Parkes ministry from January 1887 to January 1889.[5]

He died from diabetes on 23 June 1889(1889-06-23) (aged 73).[1][2]

Sutherland Dock at Cockatoo Island is named for him.[11]