John Sutherland (New South Wales politician)


John Sutherland was a politician in colonial New South Wales.
Sutherland was born near Wick, Caithness in Scotland, and emigrated to New South Wales, arriving in 1838. Having been very successful as a builder, he was elected an alderman of Sydney in 1857, and was mayor in 1861. His principal municipal work was in connection with the sewerage of the metropolis. In 1860 he was returned to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Paddington, which included the constituency of Redfern, which, when subdivided and constituted the separate Electoral district of Redfern, he represented down to the date of his death, with the exception of a short interval, during which he sat in the New South Wales Legislative Council. Sutherland was Minister of Public Works on no less than five occasions—viz., in the John Robertson and Charles Cowper Administrations from October 1868 to December 1870, in the Henry Parkes Ministry from May 1872 to February 1875, in that of James Farnell from December 1877 to December 1878, and in the fourth Parkes Government from January 1887 to January 1889.
Sutherland married Mary Ogilvie on 2 May 1839. They had two sons, who died young, and a daughter.
He died from diabetes on 23 June 1889.
Sutherland Dock at Cockatoo Island is named for him.