Norton, John, 1858 – 1916

John Norton (1858-1916), journalist, newspaper-proprietor and parliamentarian, was born at Brighton, England and arrived at Sydney in 1884. He worked for the Evening News and became a leading advocate of the emerging labour movement. In 1886 the Trades and Labor Council of NSW accredited him official delegate to the trades union congresses in London and Paris. He returned to Sydney and to journalism becoming the editor of the Newcastle Morning Herald in 1889 and later worked for and acquired the Truth, a weekly Sydney journal.

Norton represented Phillip and Flinders wards on Sydney Municipal Council (1898-1901, 1904-1906). He was elected a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for the seat of Sydney Fitzroy in 1898 but lost the seat in a general election five weeks later. He was elected MLA for the seats of Northumberland (1899-1904), Surry Hills (1904-1906) and Darling Harbour (1907-1910). He unsuccessfully contested seats in the Senate in 1901 and 1906. [ref:ADB 11]