John Kidd

Who was John Kidd?

John Kidd was an Australian politician.

Born in Brechin, Forfarshire, Scotland, to boot manufacturer John Kidd and Elizabeth Souter, received a limited education and was apprenticed at the age of thirteen as a baker and confectioner. In 1857 he arrived in New South Wales and became a baker in Sydney; by 1876 his bakery was a general store. In November 1860 he married Sophie Collier at Aberdeen, with whom he had three children. He visited the United Kingdom in 1877 and had a cattle property near Campbelltown.

In 1880 Kidd was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Camden; he served until 1882 and then again from 1885 to 1887, 1889 to 1895, and 1898 to 1904. Kidd was Postmaster-General in the Dibbs ministry. Kidd was Secretary for Mines and Minister for Agriculture from 1901 to 1904, and during his various terms was associated with the Protectionist and Progressive parties. He had been a supporter of Federation from 1891. Kidd died at Campbelltown in 1919.