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David Buchanan (1823 – 4 April 1890) was a barrister and politician in colonial New South Wales, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and later, the New South Wales Legislative Council.^[1]

Buchanan was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the fifth son of William Buchanan, a barrister, and his wife, Catherine (née Gregory).^[1] Buchanan was educated at the Edinburgh High School.^[2] He emigrated to Australia in 1852,^[2] and was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as member for Morpeth on 14 December 1860.^[3] In 1862, he unsuccessfully sued the Sydney Morning Herald for libel and was required to pay their legal costs.^[4] He was drunk in August 1862 and was involved in an altercation with Samuel Terry. In the assembly Buchanan described Terry as a coward, eventually withdrawing the remark. Buchanan continued to interrupt and held to be in contempt of parliament. He refused to leave the chamber, was arrested by the Sergeant-at-arms and forcibly removed.^[5] He was unable to pay the legal costs of his failed libel suit and declared himself bankrupt and resigned from parliament.^[1] He re-contested the seat at the resulting by-election but was defeated.^[6]

He was returned to the Legislative Assembly as a representative of East Macquarie at a by-election in October 1864, serving until 1 August 1867.^[3] He resigned in 1867 and went to England, entering at the Middle Temple in November of that year, being called to the bar in June 1869.^[2] He then returned to New South Wales, and practised his profession,^[2] being elected to the Legislative Assembly for East Sydney (3 December 1869 to 3 February 1872), and for Goldfields West (25 March 1872 to 12 October 1877).^[3] Though defeated at 1879 Mudgee by-election,^[2] the election was overturned by the Committee of Elections and Qualifications and Buchanan was declared duly elected in March 1879,^[7] a seat he held until 7 October 1885.^[3] Buchanan represented Central Cumberland from 15 May 1888 to 19 January 1889.^[3]

As a politician Buchanan gained prominence by his sturdy championship of fiscal protection. He revisited England in 1886, and published a selection from his orations and speeches.^[2] Having unsuccessfully contested Balmain at the general election in January 1889, he was nominated to the Legislative Council^[2] on 27 February 1889, a position he held until his death.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Rutledge, Martha. "Buchanan, David (1823–1890)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Mennell, Philip (1892). "Buchanan, Hon. David" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Mr David Buchanan (1823-1890)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
^ "Supreme Court: Buchanan v Fairfax". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 August 1862. p. 5. Retrieved 20 June 2021 – via Trove.
^ "Legislative Assembly". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 August 1862. p. 5. Retrieved 20 June 2021 – via Trove.
^ "Morpeth election — declaration of the poll". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. 20 September 1862. p. 2. Retrieved 20 June 2021 – via Trove.
^ "The Committee of Elections and Qualifications". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 March 1879. p. 5. Retrieved 10 October 2019 – via Trove.

New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Samuel Cohen	Member for Morpeth 1860–1862	Succeeded by Edward Close
Preceded by William Suttor	Member for East Macquarie 1864–1867 Served alongside: William Cummings	Succeeded by John Suttor
Preceded by Burdekin, Hart, Neale & Stewart	Member for East Sydney 1869–1872 Served alongside: King, H Parkes/Wilson & Martin	Succeeded by Neale, Macintosh, H Parkes & Samuel
Preceded by Walter Church	Member for Goldfields West 1872–1877	Succeeded by Hugo Louis Beyers
Preceded by Richard Rouse	Member for Mudgee 1879–1885 Served alongside: from 1880Terry/Robertson & Beyers/Taylor	Succeeded by Robertson, Taylor & Browne
Preceded by V Parkes, Farnell & McCulloch	Member for Central Cumberland 1888–1889 Served alongside: Nobbs & Farnell	Succeeded by Nobbs, Farnell, Ritchie & Linsley