Gunnedah’s ‘born and bred’ political representation

When recently elected Member for the Northern Tablelands, Brendan Moylan, made his debut speech in parliament, he reflected on the rich legacy offered by his hometown Gunnedah, which has been a stable for many political representatives including his predecessor, Adam Marshall.

He described Gunnedah as a “cracking town, with a rich political pedigree” acknowledging Upper House member Sarah Mitchell, former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, former Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and recently pre-selected Parkes federal candidate Jamie Chaffey.

Brendan acknowledged Adam Marshall for “setting a benchmark for what it means to be an effective hard-working local member”.

Like Brendan Moylan, Adam Marshall was raised on the land at Gunnedah and became the youngest mayor in NSW when he became mayor of Gunnedah Shire Council in 2008 after his election to council in 2004, when he was just 19 – and became the state’s youngest MP when he was elected Member for the Northern Tablelands in May 2013. Adam Marshall has pulled the plug on his political life with plans to take on some new challenges in the corporate world and more opportunities in his personal life.

Politics is a fickle thing, with Gunnedah represented by 38 different politicians, 12 by-elections, 16 electorate changes and 19 name changes from 1856 – when Gunnedah was gazetted as a town – to 2010. The name changes ranged from Barwon to Burrendong, Castlereagh to Gunnedah to Liverpool and Liverpool Plains and Gwydir; Namoi to Upper Hunter and now Tamworth – no wonder we are confused.

The first election for the NSW Legislative Assembly in 1856 was a leisurely affair by modern standards, with the election taking place over six weeks – now elections are held on one day – Gunnedah was represented in the first parliament by Frances Townsend Rusden and Gideon Scott Lang, a Scottish immigrant born in Selkirk Scotland, in 1819. Lang was an adventurous and enterprising pioneer always alert to fresh avenues of profit in a new and expanding community. He served on 12 parliamentary committees. He died in July 1880 at Woolloomooloo.

An Englishman by birth, Francis Rusden, arrived in Sydney in 1830. He was an active member and appears to have been involved in 20 different parliamentary committees. His

occupation was given as police magistrate at the time of his death in 1887 at Merriwa.

A Welshman was the third representative, with Dr Richard Lewis Jenkins elected in 1858. A medical practitioner and pastoralist, he was one of the earliest advocates in the colony for compulsory public education to be provided to all children in NSW and was a major influence in the education policies of Henry Parkes. He served on eight parliamentary committees. He died in Brisbane in 1883.

Immigrants featured prominently in the political representatives until the election of Andrew Loder in 1859. Born at Sackville Reach, near Windsor, in 1826, his occupation was described as Anglican lay leader, journalist, magistrate, member of the Lower House and Upper House, a newspaper owner and Railway Commissioner. He was a noted stud master, sheep and cattle breeder, with a keen interest in fine racehorses and was associated with the foundation of Randwick Racecourse. In a brief term of eight months and one day, Loder served on nine committees but appeared disenchanted with the liberal ascendance following the resignation of the Foster government. He died in May 1900 at Liverpool.

It was not until the birth of George Souris in Gunnedah in 1949, that the town had a born and bred local

member. George Souris was elected in 1988 when Gunnedah was in the seat of Upper Hunter. In total he served 23 years but when parliament was reduced by 10 seats, Gunnedah was placed in the seat of Barwon. His service included a stint as deputy leader and leader of the NSW National Party. As a minister in the Greiner and Fahey governments, his portfolios included sport, racing, finance, and assistant treasurer, land and water conservation. He was a councillor on Singleton Shire Council for seven years and represented Upper Hunter for the Nationals until 2015.

The next regional state representative was John Douglas Cull, born in Tamworth in 1951. He married Susan Hughes at Gunnedah in 1974 and was elected to the seat of Tamworth in a by-election triggered by the move of independent Tony Windsor to federal politics in 2001.

A grain and cattle producer at Stafford, Curlewis, John Cull was involved in other business ventures and served on many community organisations, including the Breeza Fire Brigade, Tamworth and District Chamber of Commerce, North West Vegetation Committee, NSW Farmers, Goran Basin Landcare Group and much more. A long-time member of the National Party, he was defeated by independent Peter Draper after a very close tussle in the 2003 general election. John Cull died in 2022 at the age of 71.

The incumbent Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson won the seat back for the Nationals in the 2011 state election.

John Douglas Cull was elected to the seat of Tamworth in a by-election triggered by the move of independent Tony Windsor to federal politics in 2001.