Joseph Carruthers

The Honourable Sir Joseph Carruthers KCMG
Carruthers in 1898.
16th Premier of New South Wales
In office 29 August 1904 – 1 October 1907
Monarch	Edward VII
Governor	Sir Harry Rawson
Preceded by	Thomas Waddell
Succeeded by	Charles Wade
Personal details
Born	(1857-12-21)21 December 1857 Kiama, New South Wales
Died	10 December 1932(1932-12-10) (aged 74) Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales
Political party	Liberal and Reform Association
Spouse(s)	Louise Marion Roberts m. 1879 dis. 1895 Alice Burnett m. 1898
Children	4(m), 4(f)

Sir Joseph Hector McNeil Carruthers KCMG (21 December 1857 – 10 December 1932) was an Australian politician and Premier of New South Wales.

According to Percival Serle, few premiers of New South Wales succeeded in doing so much distinguished work. Early in his career, Henry Parkes, recognized Carruthers' untiring energy and ability, acknowledged that if Carruthers' comparatively frail body had allowed him, he might have done even more remarkable work for his own state or for the Commonwealth.

Carruthers was born in Kiama, New South Wales. He attended William Street National School and Fort Street High School in Sydney. After boarding at George Metcalfe's High School, Goulburn, he went up to the University of Sydney and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1876. Two years later, he took his Master of Arts degree and was admitted to practice as a solicitor, where he remained for some years. In December 1879, he married Louise Marion Roberts.

In 1887, Carruthers obtained the most votes for the four-member Legislative Assembly seat of Canterbury, on a platform of local issues, free trade, social reform, land reform, industrial conciliation and arbitration, and an elective Legislative Council. He held Canterbury until 1894, when he switched to the new seat of St George. In March 1889, as Minister of Public Instruction, he joined Henry Parkes's last ministry, and soon showed himself to be an energetic administrator. He took a special interest in technical schools, particularly Ultimo Technical College, which later established a great reputation. Parkes resigned in October 1891, but when the Reid ministry was formed in August 1894, Carruthers was given the position of Secretary for Lands, and passed an important Crown Lands Act in 1895. The act of 1861 had not solved the perennial problems between the squatters and the selectors, but the new Act made an important change by dividing pastoral leases into two; one half of which was to be available for free selectors, while the pastoral lessee was able to obtain a long term for the other half. Another important aspect was that the right of the Crown tenants to the value of their improvements, was recognized. Carruthers made an able speech in introducing this measure and his reforms were widely supported.