Duncan Gillies
Encyclopedia
Duncan Gillies Australia
n colonial politician
, was the 14th Premier of Victoria.
Gillies was born at Overnewton near Glasgow
, Scotland
, where his father had a market garden. He was sent to the high school until he was about 14, when he entered an office in Glasgow. In 1852 he arrived in Melbourne
and travelled to the goldfields at Ballarat
, where he worked first as a miner and later as a businessman and company director.
Gillies was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Ballarat West in 1861, holding this seat until 1868. A conservative, he was President of the Board of Lands and Works in the short-lived government of Charles Sladen
in 1868, which cost him his seat at Ballarat, a strongly liberal constituency. He was elected for Maryborough
1870-1877, Rodney 1877-1889, Eastern Suburbs 1889-1894 and Toorak
1897-1903. He was Commissioner for Railways and Roads in the ministries of James Francis
and George Kerferd
from 1872 to 1875 and Agriculture Minister in the third government of Sir James McCulloch
in 1875-1877.
In both the first (1880) and second (1883-1886) Service
governments Gillies was Commissioner for Railways and Vice-President of the Board of Lands and Works. He was also Minister for Public Instruction 1884-1886. When Service retired at the time of the 1886 elections, Gillies succeeded him as Premier, forming a coalition government with the liberal leader Alfred Deakin
, and winning a comfortable majority over a divided opposition at the elections.
The Gillies ministry presided over the climax of the long economic boom which Victoria had enjoyed since the gold rushes of the 1850s. There was at this time no regulation of the banking and finance industries, and no expectation that governments could or should protect investors against unsound or unscrupulous financial schemes. The result was the great Victorian Land Boom, which took off in 1887 and reached a climax in 1890. More than 50 million pounds of speculative capital from Britain flowed into the colony, much of which was spent buying land in suburban Melbourne at hugely inflated prices. Gillies was not really responsible for this, although his government did nothing to prevent it.
The Gillies government was easily re-elected in 1889, but in 1890 the Boom toppled over and a sharp recession followed. In October Gillies was defeated in a confidence motion when a section of his own followers led by James Munro
turned against him. In 1891 the recession turned into a depression, and Gillies was among the many speculators and shareholders who were wiped out in the crash.
Gillies withdrew from active politics for several years while his finances recovered. In 1902 he was elected Speaker
, a post he held until his death the following year. He had always been considered to be a bachelor, but after his death it was disclosed that in 1897 while in London as Agent-General he had married Mrs Turquand Fillan who survived him without issue. He declined the honour of K.C.M.G. in 1887.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n colonial politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, was the 14th Premier of Victoria.
Gillies was born at Overnewton near Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where his father had a market garden. He was sent to the high school until he was about 14, when he entered an office in Glasgow. In 1852 he arrived in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and travelled to the goldfields at Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, where he worked first as a miner and later as a businessman and company director.
Gillies was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
for Ballarat West in 1861, holding this seat until 1868. A conservative, he was President of the Board of Lands and Works in the short-lived government of Charles Sladen
Charles Sladen
Sir Charles Sladen, KCMG , Australian colonial politician, was the 6th Premier of Victoria.Sladen was born in England near Walmer, Kent, the second son of John Baker Sladen, deputy-lieutenant of the county. He was educated at Shrewsbury and later at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. In 1840, he graduated...
in 1868, which cost him his seat at Ballarat, a strongly liberal constituency. He was elected for Maryborough
Maryborough, Victoria
-Education:Maryborough has three schools:*Highview Christian Community College*Maryborough Education Centre Years Prep–12*St Augustine's Primary School Grades Prep–6-Music:...
1870-1877, Rodney 1877-1889, Eastern Suburbs 1889-1894 and Toorak
Toorak, Victoria
Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...
1897-1903. He was Commissioner for Railways and Roads in the ministries of James Francis
James Francis
James Goodall Francis , Australian colonial politician, was the 9th Premier of Victoria. Francis was born in London, and emigrated to Van Diemen's Land in 1847, where he became a businessman. He moved to Victoria in 1853 and became a leading Melbourne merchant...
and George Kerferd
George Kerferd
George Briscoe Kerferd , Australian colonial politician, was the 10th Premier of Victoria.Kerferd was born in Liverpool, the son of G. B. Kerferd, a merchant. Kerferd was educated at the Collegiate Institute, Liverpool, with intentions of studying law; however circumstances led him to enter his...
from 1872 to 1875 and Agriculture Minister in the third government of Sir James McCulloch
James McCulloch
James McCulloch is also the name of the cashier of the Baltimore branch of the Second National Bank of the United States. This James McCulloch was not involved in the McCulloch vs. Maryland U.S. Supreme Court case....
in 1875-1877.
In both the first (1880) and second (1883-1886) Service
James Service
James Service , Australian colonial politician, was the 12th Premier of Victoria, Australia.-Biography:Service was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland, and as a young man worked in a Glasgow tea importing business, Thomas Corbett and Company...
governments Gillies was Commissioner for Railways and Vice-President of the Board of Lands and Works. He was also Minister for Public Instruction 1884-1886. When Service retired at the time of the 1886 elections, Gillies succeeded him as Premier, forming a coalition government with the liberal leader Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
, and winning a comfortable majority over a divided opposition at the elections.
The Gillies ministry presided over the climax of the long economic boom which Victoria had enjoyed since the gold rushes of the 1850s. There was at this time no regulation of the banking and finance industries, and no expectation that governments could or should protect investors against unsound or unscrupulous financial schemes. The result was the great Victorian Land Boom, which took off in 1887 and reached a climax in 1890. More than 50 million pounds of speculative capital from Britain flowed into the colony, much of which was spent buying land in suburban Melbourne at hugely inflated prices. Gillies was not really responsible for this, although his government did nothing to prevent it.
The Gillies government was easily re-elected in 1889, but in 1890 the Boom toppled over and a sharp recession followed. In October Gillies was defeated in a confidence motion when a section of his own followers led by James Munro
James Munro (Australian politician)
James Munro , Australian colonial politician, was the 15th Premier of Victoria.-Early life:James Munro was born in Armadale, Sutherland, Scotland, to Donald Munro and his wife, Georgina. James Munro's grandparents were an Alexander Munro of the family of Foulis, Ross-shire and Barbara Mackay, a...
turned against him. In 1891 the recession turned into a depression, and Gillies was among the many speculators and shareholders who were wiped out in the crash.
Gillies withdrew from active politics for several years while his finances recovered. In 1902 he was elected Speaker
Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria....
, a post he held until his death the following year. He had always been considered to be a bachelor, but after his death it was disclosed that in 1897 while in London as Agent-General he had married Mrs Turquand Fillan who survived him without issue. He declined the honour of K.C.M.G. in 1887.
External links
- Margot Beever, 'Gillies, Duncan (1834 - 1903)', Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
, Volume 4, MUP, 1972, pp 250-252.