John Robertson

Sir John Robertson, KCMG (15 October 1816 – 8 May 1891) is an Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales on five occasions.

Robertson is best remembered for land reform and in particular the Robertson Land Acts of 1861, which seek to open up the selection of Crown land and break the monopoly of the squatters.

Robertson is elected to Parliament in 1856 supporting manhood suffrage, secret ballot, electorates based on equal populations, abolition of state aid to religion, government non-denominational schools, free trade, and land reform.

He sees free selection of crown land before survey as the key to social reform with poor settlers being able to occupy agricultural and pastoral land, even that occupied by lease-holding squatters.

This insight enables him to dominate the politics of 1856-61.

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