Charles Kemp (2 June 1813 – 25 August 1864) was an English-born Australian politician.
He was born inLondon to carpenter Simon Kemp and Mary Ann Cox. He and his family migrated toPort Stephens; he moved toSydney in 1831 and, after a period in a carpenters' shop, was the colony's first parliamentary reporter. In 1838, he married Stella Christie; they adopted one daughter.[1]
Kemp was the proprietor ofThe Sydney Morning Herald from 1841 until 1853.[1] Kemp also worked as an underwriter and also went into real estate and the stock market. From 1855 to 1856, he was an inaugural railway commissioner, the government having assumed control of the Sydney and Hunter River Railway Companies, which he had founded. He stood unsuccessfully for theNew South Wales Legislative Council for theNorth Eastern Boroughs (Newcastle and Raymond Terrace) at the1851 election,[2] forManeroo in April 1854,[3] and forCity of Sydney in May 1854.[4] Kemp was a candidate for the1859 general election forEast Sydney, but was again unsuccessful.[5]
Kemp was chairman of theHunter River Railway Company, which existed from 1853 to 1855 and began construction on the first portion of what became theGreat Northern Railway.[6][7]
In 1860, he was elected in aby-election to theNew South Wales Legislative Assembly forLiverpool Plains,[8] but parliament was dissolved in November 1860 and he was defeated at thegeneral election in December 1860.[9]
From 1860, he was Deputy Chairman of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney.[1] In April 1861 he was again unsuccessful in aby-election for Parramatta,[10] before being appointed to the Legislative Council in September 1861.[11]
Kemp died in 1864 at Sydney.[11]
| New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forLiverpool Plains 1860 | Succeeded by |
