Black, George, 1854 – 1936

George Muir Black (1854-1936), journalist and parliamentarian, was born at Edinburgh, Scotland. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh. He migrated to Australia in 1877, first to Victoria and then in 1878 to Sydney. After undertaking a variety of jobs he was employed in 1889 as a sub-editor of the Bulletin.

In May 1891 Black joined the Labor Electoral League in West Sydney and was elected as a Labor member of the NSW Legislative Assembly in June 1891. In 1893 Black refused to take the Labor Party pledge and was elected in 1894 as an independent Labor member to the seat of Sydney-Gipps ahead of the endorsed Labor candidate. After the pledge was re-worded he rejoined the party in 1895 and held his seat until the 1898 election. Black was elected MLA in the seat of The Namoi (1910-1913) and Namoi (1913-1917) and to the NSW Legislative Council (1917-1934). His ministerial portfolios included Agriculture (1915), Colonial Secretary (1915-1916) and Public Health (1915-1916).