David Grant Forbes

Brief description

PER-189

Full description

David Grant Forbes was born on 19 May 1819 in Newfoundland where his father, Francis Forbes, was Chief Justice from 1817 to 1822. Forbes came with his parents from Plymouth to Sydney on 5 March 1824 in the 'Guildford' when his father was appointed Chief Justice of New South Wales. David Forbes attended William Cape's Sydney College before enrolling at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts. His was the first degree taken at an English university by anyone educated in New South Wales. He entered and passed the examination at the Inner Temple but was obliged to return to Australia without being called to the Bar because his father was seriously ill. Francis Forbes senior died on 8 November 1841. (1)

During the 1840s, David Forbes was primarily occupied with land management. He and his brother Francis established the village of Forbestown (now South Muswellbrook) on the family property 'Skellater' at Muswellbrook. They were both members of the District Council for Merton and Muswellbrook established on 12 August 1843, and both honorary magistrates. David was appointed a Commissioner of the Supreme Court for the taking of Affidavits and Bail at Muswellbrook on 3 March 1842 and an honorary magistrate on 21 April 1842. They made claims to leases of Crown lands beyond the Settled District in August 1848, in the Darling Downs District, properties named 'Clifton' and 'Ellangowan', which were transferred to Robert Campbell a year later. (2)

On 1 January 1851, David Forbes was a Second Class Clerk in the Police Establishment at Sydney. On 1 June 1851 he was appointed Police Magistrate for the Town and District of Parramatta. Along with this role came other duties - Visiting Magistrate to the Lunatic and Invalid Establishment at Parramatta and Visiting Justice to the Parramatta Gaol. He was also from 1852 Superintendent of the Immigration Depot, Parramatta, a trustee of the Promenade at Parramatta, a Commissioner of the Parramatta Road Trust, and a District Trustee to receive deposits for the Savings' Bank of New South Wales at Parramatta. In early 1857 he was also Superintendent of the Protestant Orphan School. (3)

On 19 February 1857, Forbes was appointed a Police Magistrate for the City of Sydney with additional duties as Visiting Magistrate of Darlinghurst Gaol to 13 January 1859 and Cockatoo Island to 31 May 1859. (4) On 21 May 1859 David Forbes was admitted to the Bar of New South Wales and on 1 June 1859 was appointed Crown Prosecutor for the Northern and Western Districts. In 1860 he was Crown Prosecutor for Cumberland and the Coast, from 1861 to 1865 for the Southern District and from 1865 for the South-western District.( 5) In 1871 he began relieving for Judge Henry Ralph Francis during his ill health. Forbes was Acting Judge and Chairman of Quarter Sessions from 11 to 31 December 1871, 25 January to 19 April, 17 May to 8 July and 9 August to 19 October 1872, and the entire year of 1873. In 1874 Forbes was once again Crown Prosecutor but in 1875 was Acting Judge from 9 January to 7 June. He was appointed District Court Judge and Chairman of Quarter Sessions for the South-western District from 8 June 1875. (6) He retired on 30 June 1898 and died at Sydney on 7 March 1901. (7)

Endnotes:
(1) H J Gibbney and Ann G Smith (eds), Biographical Register 1788-1939, Vol.1, Canberra, Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1987, p.234; HTE Holt, A Court Rises: the lives and times of the Judges of the District Court of New South Wales 1859-1959, North Sydney, Law Foundation of New South Wales, 1976, pp.95-98; CH Currey, 'Forbes, Sir Francis (1784-1841)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, on-line edition, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010366b.htm (cited 12 February 2008).
(2) Walkabout Australian Travel Guide: 'Muswellbrook', at http://www.walkabout.com.au/locations/NSWMuswellbrook.shtml (cited 13 February 2008); New South Wales Government Gazette No.19, 8 March 1842, p.389; No.33, 26 April 1842, p.619; No.74, 5 September 1843, p.1146; No.19, 16 February 1844, pp.296-8; No.82, 2 August 1848, p.947; No.111, 7 August 1849, p.1164.
(3) NSW Government Gazette, No.59, 30 May 1851, p.859; No.60, 3 June 1851, p.874; No.122, 25 October 1851, p.1722; No.27, 12 March 1852, p.431; No.41, 23 April, 1852, p.657; No.52, 21 May 1852, p.819; No.1, 3 January 1854, p.2; Colonial Secretary; NRS 1286, Returns of the Colony (Blue Books), 1858, pp.358, 368, 416, 432; 1852, p.358; 1853, pp.348, 388; 1857, p.302.
(4) NSW Government Gazette No.25, 20 February 1857, p.339; No.31, 3 March 1857, p.423; 1859, p.77; Blue Books, op.cit., 1857, p.298; Public Service Lists (Blue Books) 1858, pp.26, 33; 1859, pp.59, 65, 67.
(5) Supreme Court; NRS 13664, Roll of Barristers and Solicitors, 1824-1876, SR Fiche 852, p.7A; NSW Government Gazette No.104, 7 June 1859, p.1253; Public Service Lists (Blue Books), 1859, p.71; 1860, p.78; 1861, p.89; 1866, p.42.
(6) Public Service Lists (Blue Books), 1871, pp.45-46; 1872, pp.47-48; 1873, p.49; 1874, p.52; 1875, pp.45, 56; NSW Government Cazettes No.138, 18 June 1875, p.1777.
(7) NSW Government Gazette No.544, 24 June 1898, p.4752. HTE Holt, op.cit., p.98.

Notes

Commissioner for taking of Affidavits and Bail, 03/03/1842
Magistrate, 21/04/1842
Member of District Council for Merton and Muswellbrook, 12/08/1843
Second Class Clerk, Police Establishment, Sydney, 01/01/1852 - 31/05/1851
Police Magistrate, Parramatta, 01/06/1851 - 18/02/1857
Visiting Magistrate, Lunatic and Invalid Establishment, Parramatta, 01/06/1851 - 18/02/1857
Visiting Justice, Parramatta Gaol 01/06/1851 - 31/12/1856?
Superintendent of the Immigration Depot, Parramatta, 01/01/1852 - 18/02/1857?
Superintendent of the Protestant Orphan School, Parramatta, 01/01/1857 - 18/02/1857
Police Magistrate, City of Sydney, 19/02/1857 - 31/05/1857
Visiting Magistrate, Darlinghurst Gaol, 19/02/1857 - 13/01/1859
Visiting Magistrate, Cockatoo Island, 19/02/1857 - 31/05/1859
Crown Prosecutor, 01/06/1859 - 08/01/1875
Acting District Court Judge, South-western District, 11/12/1871 - 31/12/1871, 25/01/1872 - 19/04/1872, 17/05/1872 - 08/07/1872, 09/08/1872 - 19/10/1872, 01/01/1873 - 31/12/1873, 09/01/1875 - 07/06/1875
Acting Chairman of Quarter Sessions, South-western District, 11/12/1871 - 31/12/1871, 25/01/1872 - 19/04/1872, 17/05/1872 - 08/07/1872, 09/08/1872 - 19/10/1872, 01/01/1873 - 31/12/1873, 09/01/1875 - 07/06/1875
District Court Judge, South-western District, 08/06/1875 - 30/06/1898
Chairman of Quarter Sessions, South-western District, 08/06/1875 - 30/06/1898