page_title: Edmund Barton
section_title: New South Wales politics
hierarchical_section_title: Edmund Barton / New South Wales politics
caption_attribution_description: English: Australian politician Edmund Barton as Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
context_page_description: Sir Edmund "Toby" Barton, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician and judge who served as the first Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1901 to 1903. He resigned to become a founding member of the High Court of Australia, where he served until his death.
  Barton was an early supporter of the federation of the Australian colonies, the goal of which he summarised as "a nation for a continent, and a continent for a nation". After the retirement of Henry Parkes he came to be seen as the leader of the federation movement in New South Wales. He was a delegate to the constitutional conventions, playing a key role in the drafting of a national constitution, and was one of the lead campaigners for federation in the subsequent referendums. In late 1900, despite the initial "Hopetoun Blunder", Barton was commissioned to form a caretaker government as Australia's first prime minister. His term began on 1 January 1901, the date on which federation occurred.
  At the first federal elections in March 1901, Barton and the Protectionists won the most seats, but were well short of a majority.
context_section_description: In 1876 Barton stood for the Legislative Assembly in the poll of the graduates of the University of Sydney (who were required to wear gowns for the occasion), but was beaten by William Charles Windeyer 49 votes to 43. He was defeated again for the same seat in 1877, but won in August 1879.  When it was abolished in 1880, he became the member for Wellington, from November 1880 to 1882, and East Sydney, from November 1882 to January 1887.  At this stage he considered it "almost unnecessary" to point out his support for free trade.
  In 1882, he became Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.  He was aged only 33, and was the youngest person to have been chosen presiding officer of any Australian legislative chamber.  In 1884 he was elected President of the University of Sydney Union. In 1887, he was appointed to the Legislative Council at the instigation of Sir Henry Parkes. In January 1889, he agreed to being appointed Attorney General of New South Wales in George Dibbs's Protectionist government, despite his previous support for free trade. This government lasted only until March, when Parkes formed a government again.
caption: Barton as Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
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