Conservative premier (for 12 days in 1857) John Baker fights for the fiscal independence of South Australia
John Baker, who had built a pastoral empire, brought in an important compact on parliamentary money bills in his 12 days as premier of South Australia.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia
John Baker was only South Australian premier for 12 days in 1857 but, as a conservative "with progressive tendencies", he fought strongly for the colony’s economic rights against a series of governors while staying intensely loyal to the crown and English traditions.
Baker, who had built up a pastoral empire, represented Mount Barker as a non-elected member in the first part-elected South Australian Legislative Council in 1851-56. Although disappointed that state aid to churches, especially the Church of England was abolished in South Australia, he was determined that the colony should control its land revenue.
In debates on the new constitution, he fought for a limited franchise for the upper house, the Legislative Council, to preserve the rights of property owners. He insisted on this safeguard before agreeing to any semblance of democracy in the lower house, the House of Assembly. He abhorred political parties and class legislation.
In the 1857 elections for the new Legislative Council, he won the second largest vote.
In his 12 days as South Australia's second premier, he was able to bring in an important compact between both houses of parliament on amending money bills. He held his seat in the council until 1861 and in 1863-72. Although labelled “spokesman for the pastoralists”, he remained firmly independent.
He was a prominent critic of governor George Grey’s drastic economies and, with Jacob Hagen in 1844, charged Grey with “extremely corrupt conduct” in rejecting their tender for mining land. Baker complained to influential friends in England and Grey was transferred to New Zealand.
In 1847, when lieutenant governor Frederick Robe introduced agistment charges for livestock on land occupied by licence, Baker refused to pay and won his case in the supreme court. He also opposed royalty charges on copper and persuaded the Adelaide Mining Company not to pay. The company’s supreme court test case was successful.
Baker was prominent in overcoming governor Henry Young’s reluctance to agree to the Bullion Act that brought gold from Victorian fields to Adelaide.
In 1855-57, Baker persuaded the Legislative Council to condemn governor Richard MacDonell for disapproving the departmental committee’s progress reports. In 1858, Baker’s hopes of a knighthood were thwarted by MacDonnell who also excluded him from government house on his return from England in 1859. Baker never yielded; he went to England in 1861 and next year MacDonnell left the colony.
