# Electoral district of Port Phillip

The Electoral district of Port Phillip was an electorate of the New South Wales Legislative Council before it became the separate colony of Victoria (Australia) on 1 July 1851. At the time, some members of the Council were elected and the balance were appointed by the Governor. The Town of Melbourne returned one member while the Port Phillip district, which covered the rest of what became Victoria after its separation in 1851, returned five members.

## History

Settlers of the Port Phillip District had wanted representation in the New South Wales Legislative Council for some time. In 1843 representatives were elected; "But the colonists were not satisfied with government from and by Sydney".
On 1 July 1851, the District was separated from New South Wales under provisions of the Australian Colonies Government Act 1850, and became the Colony of Victoria and the Victorian Legislative Council was created.

## Members

| Member 1 | Term | Member 2 | Term | Member 3 | Term | Member 4 | Term | Member 5 | Term |
| Charles Ebden | 1 Jun 1843 – 31 Mar 1844 | Thomas Walker | 1 Jun 1843 – 31 Jul 1845 | Charles Nicholson | 1 June 1843 – 20 Jun 1848 | Alexander Thomson | 1 Jun 1843 – 31 Mar 1844 | John Lang | 1 June 1843 – 1 Nov 1847 |
| Adolphus Young | 1 Apr 1844 – 31 Jul 1845 | Thomas Walker | 1 Jun 1843 – 31 Jul 1845 | Charles Nicholson | 1 June 1843 – 20 Jun 1848 | Sir Thomas Mitchell | 1 Apr 1844 – 31 Aug 1844 | John Lang | 1 June 1843 – 1 Nov 1847 |
| Adolphus Young | 1 Apr 1844 – 31 Jul 1845 | Thomas Walker | 1 Jun 1843 – 31 Jul 1845 | Charles Nicholson | 1 June 1843 – 20 Jun 1848 | Benjamin Boyd | 1 Sep 1844 – 1 Aug 1845 | John Lang | 1 June 1843 – 1 Nov 1847 |
| Thomas Boyd | 1 Aug 1845 – 11 Dec 1845 | Maurice O'Connell | 1 Aug 1845 – 20 Jun 1848 | Charles Nicholson | 1 June 1843 – 20 Jun 1848 | Edward Curr | 1 Sep 1845 – 31 May 1846 | John Lang | 1 June 1843 – 1 Nov 1847 |
| Edward Brewster | 1 Jan 1846 – 1 Feb 1848 | Maurice O'Connell | 1 Aug 1845 – 20 Jun 1848 | Charles Nicholson | 1 June 1843 – 20 Jun 1848 | John Foster | 1 Jun 1846 – 20 Jun 1848 | John Lang | 1 June 1843 – 1 Nov 1847 |
| Charles Ebden | 1 Mar 1848 – 20 Jun 1848 | Maurice O'Connell | 1 Aug 1845 – 20 Jun 1848 | Charles Nicholson | 1 June 1843 – 20 Jun 1848 | John Foster | 1 Jun 1846 – 20 Jun 1848 | John Airey | 22 Dec 1847 – 20 Jun 1848 |
| Lauchlan Mackinnon | 1 Sep 1848 – 31 May 1850 | James Williamson | 1 Sep 1848 – 31 Jan 1849 | John Dickson | 1 Sep 1848 – 30 Jun 1851 | Edward Curr | 1 Sep 1848 – 31 May 1849 | James Palmer | 1 Sep 1848 – 31 May 1849 |
| Lauchlan Mackinnon | 1 Sep 1848 – 31 May 1850 | William Macarthur | 1 Feb 1849 – 30 Jun 1851 | John Dickson | 1 Sep 1848 – 30 Jun 1851 | John Foster | 1 Jun 1849 – 31 May 1850 | Henry Moor | 1 Jul 1849 – 30 Jun 1851 |
| Charles Ebden | 1 Jun 1850 – 30 Jun 1851 | William Macarthur | 1 Feb 1849 – 30 Jun 1851 | John Dickson | 1 Sep 1848 – 30 Jun 1851 | William Mercer | 1 Jun 1850 – 30 Jun 1851 | Henry Moor | 1 Jul 1849 – 30 Jun 1851 |

## Election results
### 1843

1843 New South Wales colonial election, 20 June: Port Phillip :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Charles Ebden | Charles Ebden | 228 | 19.69 |
| Thomas Walker | Thomas Walker | 217 | 18.74 |
| Charles Nicholson | Charles Nicholson | 206 | 17.79 |
| Alexander Thomson | Alexander Thomson | 184 | 15.89 |
| John Dunmore Lang | John Dunmore Lang | 166 | 14.34 |
| Sir Thomas Mitchell | Sir Thomas Mitchell | 157 | 13.56 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 1,158 | 100.00 |

### 1844 (1)

Charles Ebden and Alexander Thomson resigned in March 1844.
Port Phillip by-election 23 April 1844 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Sir Thomas Mitchell | Sir Thomas Mitchell | 195 | 44.10 |
| Adolphus Young | Adolphus Young | 134 | 31.68 |
| Maurice O'Connell | Maurice O'Connell | 94 | 22.22 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 423 | 100 |

### 1844 (2)

Sir Thomas Mitchell, while an elected member was also the Surveyor General. He was criticised by Governor Sir George Gipps for not supporting the government by absenting himself from the Legislative Council when he did not agree with government measures. Mitchell chose to resign his seat.
Port Phillip by-election 17 September 1844 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Benjamin Boyd | Benjamin Boyd | unopposed | |

### 1845 (1)

Thomas Walker resigned on 31 July 1845.
Port Phillip by-election 7 August 1845 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Maurice O'Connell | Maurice O'Connell | show of hands | |
| Archibald Boyd | Archibald Boyd | | |

### 1845 (2)

Adolphus Young resigned on 31 July 1845.
Port Phillip by-election 7 August 1845 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Thomas Boyd | Thomas Boyd | unopposed | |

### 1845 (3)

Benjamin Boyd resigned on 1 August 1845.
Port Phillip by-election 26 September 1845 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Edward Curr | Edward Curr | 50 | 81.97 |
| Neil Black | Neil Black | 11 | 8.03 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 61 | 100 |

### 1846 (1)

Thomas Boyd resigned in December 1845.
Port Phillip by-election 23 January 1846 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Edward Brewster | Edward Brewster | unopposed | |

### 1846 (2)

Edward Curr resigned in May 1846.
Port Phillip by-election 29 June 1846 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| John Foster | John Foster | unopposed | |

### 1847

John Lang was absent for two successive sessions of the Council and his seat was declared vacant in November 1847.
Port Phillip by-election 22 December 1847 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| John Airey | John Airey | unopposed | |

### 1848 By-election

Edward Brewster resigned in February 1848.
Port Phillip by-election 15 March 1848 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Charles Ebden | Charles Ebden | unopposed | |

### 1848

1848 New South Wales colonial election, 3 October: Port Phillip :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Lauchlan Mackinnon (elected 1) | Lauchlan Mackinnon (elected 1) | 239 | 17 |
| James Williamson (elected 2) | James Williamson (elected 2) | 234 | 16 |
| John Dickson (elected 3) | John Dickson (elected 3) | 232 | 16 |
| James Palmer (elected 4) | James Palmer (elected 4) | 226 | 16 |
| Edward Curr (elected 5) | Edward Curr (elected 5) | 189 | 13 |
| The Duke of Wellington, Lord Palmerston, Lord Brougham, Lord John Russell, Sir Robert Peel | The Duke of Wellington, Lord Palmerston, Lord Brougham, Lord John Russell, Sir Robert Peel | 58 | 4 |
| William Macarthur | William Macarthur | 25 | 1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 1,435 | 100 |

### 1849 (1)

James Williamson resigned in January 1849.
Port Phillip by-election 27 February 1849 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| William Macarthur | William Macarthur | 97 | 90.65 |
| The Duke of Wellington | The Duke of Wellington | 9 | 8.41 |
| John Fawkner | John Fawkner | 1 | 0.93 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 107 | 100 |

### 1849 (2)

Edward Curr resigned in May 1849.
Port Phillip by-election 23 June 1849 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| John Foster | John Foster | unopposed | |

### 1849 (3)

James Palmer resigned in May 1849.
Port Phillip by-election 17 July 1849 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Henry Moor | Henry Moor | unopposed | |

### 1850

Lauchlan Mackinnon and John Foster resigned in May 1850.
Port Phillip by-election 11 June 1850 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Charles Ebden | Charles Ebden | 421 | 31.94 |
| William Mercer | William Mercer | 401 | 30.42 |
| John Lang | John Lang | 386 | 29.29 |
| Lachlan McAlister | Lachlan McAlister | 110 | 8.35 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 1,318 | 100 |