James Augustine Cunneen (22 February 1826 – 19 April 1889) was an Australian politician.[1]

He was born at Mulgrave to pastoralist John Cunneen and Mary Flanagan. He was educated at Windsor and became a farmer and pastoralist.[2]

In 1861 he married Elizabeth Hudson, with whom he had eight children. In 1860 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Hawkesbury, serving until his defeat in 1869.[3] He returned to the Assembly as the member for Wollombi in 1872, serving until 1877.[4] In September 1865 the Governor declared that a member of the Legislative Assembly was capable of holding the office of Postmaster-General,[5] and Cunneen was appointed,[1] becoming the first member of parliament to hold the office so since the establishment of Responsible Government in 1856. He served until January 1866, however his appointment as a minister did not give him a seat in cabinet.[2]

After leaving politics he became a land agent, but found little success.[2]

Cunneen died after falling down a flight of stairs at his Paddington home in 1889 (aged 63).[1][6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mr James Augustine Cunneen (1826-1889)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Bowd, D G (1969). "Cunneen, James Augustine (1826–1889)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 3. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  3. ↑ Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Hawkesbury". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  4. ↑ Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Wollombi". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Proclamation: office of Postmaster-General". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 203. 29 September 1865. p. 2173. Retrieved 17 December 2020 – via Trove.
  6. ↑ "The Late James Augustine Cunneen". Windsor and Richmond Gazette. 27 April 1889. p. 3. Retrieved 17 December 2020 – via Trove.

 

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