Albert Gould

Sir Albert John Gould, VD (12 February 1847 – 27 July 1936) was an Australian politician and solicitor who served as the second president of the Australian Senate.

A solicitor, businessman and citizen soldier before his entry into politics, Gould was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1882 to 1898, during which time he served as Minister for Justice in two Free Trade governments. He later served two years in the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1899 to 1901 until his election to the Australian Senate. Gould's interest in parliamentary procedure saw him become involved with the relevant standing committee and he was elected unopposed as the second President of the Senate in 1907. His tenure is remembered as more traditionalist and Anglophilic than his predecessor's.

Defeated by the Labor nominee in 1910 following the Liberal government's defeat, Gould remained in parliament as a backbencher until 1917, when he retired after he was not re-endorsed by the Nationalist Party. He was active in community and religious affairs during his long retirement.

Early life and career

Gould was born in Sydney, the son of solicitor John Morton Gould and his wife Anne (née Livingstone). He attended William Woolls' school in Parramatta, and went on to study law at the University of Sydney, although he did not take a degree. He served his articles with his father and was admitted to the bar in December 1870. He then worked in Singleton for a Sydney legal firm. Gould also developed significant business interests, being involved with the Great Cobar Copper Mining syndicate and serving as a director of the Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation, the City Bank of Sydney and the Oriental Timber Corporation. On 12 September 1872, he married Jeanette Jessie Maitland at St Paul's Church of England in West Maitland. His first speech was largely devoted to his impassioned support for free trade, and in his early years as a senator he also supported decentralisation and opposed proposals to establish a federal capital. winning the largest vote for any senator to that time.

From 1901 Gould maintained an interest in the procedure of the Senate, and was a member of the standing orders committee from its appointment in 1901 until 1907. He had supported the opening of Senate proceedings with prayer and had made frequent reference to the standing orders of the British House of Commons. differed from his predecessor in his adherence to British influence. With the election of the Fisher Labor Government in 1910, Gould was defeated by Harry Turley for the presidency.

Despite his support for conscription, Gould was not endorsed by the new Nationalist Party to contest the 1917 election. Deeply offended, Gould nevertheless elected to retire rather than run as an independent and split the Nationalist vote.

Later life

In his retirement, Gould continued his community involvement. A director of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, he also served as a member and chancellor of the Sydney and Newcastle synods of the Church of England. He died in July 1936 at Rose Bay aged 89; he was survived by two sons and three daughters (his wife died in 1928; one daughter had also predeceased him). Gould was given a state funeral at St Andrew's Cathedral and was buried at South Head Cemetery.