John McIntyre (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir John McIntyre was a Scottish
born Australia
n politician and businessman. After emigrating to Australia during the Victorian gold rush
, McIntyre became heavily involved in the mining industry around Bendigo. Later as he began to rise in prominence he became involved in local politics, eventually becoming the first mayor
of Bendigo, a post he held for five years before resigning. In the years following he became heavily involved in community work, serving as a territorial magistrate
and children's guardian for the Bendigo district. In 1877 he was elected to the Victorian Parliament as the Member for Sandhurst. Although he later lost this seat in 1880, he re-entered parliament in 1881 after winning the seat of Maldon in a by election. He held this seat until 1902, serving as a minister during the Patterson
premiership. In December 1903 he stood for the Australian Senate
but narrowly failed to win a seat. Suffering from ill health, he died shortly afterwards.
, Lanarkshire
, Scotland on 24 April 1832. He was the son of Malcolm McIntyre and his wife, Euphemia McGuinness. Educated at South End Academy, he began a medical course at the University of Glasgow
but did not complete this course, deciding instead to emigrate to Australia in 1852. In 1853 he married Jeanne Grant, sister-in-law of Dr James Eadie, his business partner. She died in 1861, leaving three sons—Alexander, John and James. In 1875 McIntyre married Jeanne's sister, Isabella, who died in 1902.
aboard the Runnymede. He travelled to the Bendigo fields by foot and after some early success on some mining claims he settled at Bendigo where, in 1855, he set up a business partnership with Dr James Eadie (a colleague from Glasgow) involving an apothecary and other business pursuits. His ongoing involvement in mining led to McIntyre becoming involved in advocacy of miners' rights and he was a supporter of the Red Ribbon Rebellion.
In 1856 he was elected to the Sandhurst Court which dealt with mining matters and in 1858 to its successor, the mining board of which he became chairman.
His success in mining led him to pursue investment of foreign capital for Victorian mines. In 1887 he formed a company in London in order to introduce British capital into the Maldon
mines.
McIntyre tried several times to enter the Parliament of Victoria
, unsuccessfully contesting Mandurang in 1866 and Sandhurst in 1871 and 1874. In 1877 he stood again and won the seat of Sandhurst. As a noted free trader, he actively opposed protection
which contributed to loss of his seat in June 1880, but early in 1881 he won Maldon in the by-election following James Service
's resignation from the seat.
During 1893–94 McIntyre served as President of the Board of Lands and Works and Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey in the government of Sir James Brown Patterson.
He also served as a member of the royal commission
s on tariff
s in 1881 and gold-mining in 1889 and was a member of the railway standing committee in 1890.
He represented the Victorian Parliament at the opening of Federal Parliament
on 9 May 1901 and was presented with a Gold Commonwealth medal. In September 1902, however, he lost his seat.
McIntyre made one campaign for election as a Victorian Free Trade Party
Senate candidate to the Parliament of Australia
in December 1903, but he was not successful, missing out on a seat by less than 600 votes.
McIntyre involved himself in many aspects of the expatriate Scot. He held the position of President of the Royal Caledonian Society of Melbourne from 1896–98. He was a founder and honorary colonel of the Victorian Scottish Regiment
.
McIntyre's health broke down after his exhausting but ultimately unsuccessful Senate campaign. However in this period, he still found time for involvement in "things Scottish", playing the role of Bailie Nicol Jarvie
in the Royal Caledonian Society’s October 1903 production of "Rob Roy". He died on 18 January 1904 and was buried at the Back Creek cemetery in Bendigo.
John McIntyre was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath
(KB) in 1895.
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...
born Australia
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 politician and businessman. After emigrating to Australia during the Victorian gold rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
, McIntyre became heavily involved in the mining industry around Bendigo. Later as he began to rise in prominence he became involved in local politics, eventually becoming the first mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Bendigo, a post he held for five years before resigning. In the years following he became heavily involved in community work, serving as a territorial magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
and children's guardian for the Bendigo district. In 1877 he was elected to the Victorian Parliament as the Member for Sandhurst. Although he later lost this seat in 1880, he re-entered parliament in 1881 after winning the seat of Maldon in a by election. He held this seat until 1902, serving as a minister during the Patterson
James Patterson (Australian politician)
Sir James Brown Patterson, KCMG , Australian colonial politician, was the 17th Premier of Victoria.Patterson was born in Alnwick, Northumberland, and emigrated to Victoria in 1852 to seek his fortune on the goldfields...
premiership. In December 1903 he stood for the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
but narrowly failed to win a seat. Suffering from ill health, he died shortly afterwards.
Early and personal life
McIntyre was born in GlasgowGlasgow
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...
, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland on 24 April 1832. He was the son of Malcolm McIntyre and his wife, Euphemia McGuinness. Educated at South End Academy, he began a medical course at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
but did not complete this course, deciding instead to emigrate to Australia in 1852. In 1853 he married Jeanne Grant, sister-in-law of Dr James Eadie, his business partner. She died in 1861, leaving three sons—Alexander, John and James. In 1875 McIntyre married Jeanne's sister, Isabella, who died in 1902.
Mining and business interests in Victoria
McIntyre came to Australia after reports of significant gold discoveries and in 1852 he arrived at Portland, VictoriaPortland, Victoria
The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg. It is located on Portland Bay.-History:...
aboard the Runnymede. He travelled to the Bendigo fields by foot and after some early success on some mining claims he settled at Bendigo where, in 1855, he set up a business partnership with Dr James Eadie (a colleague from Glasgow) involving an apothecary and other business pursuits. His ongoing involvement in mining led to McIntyre becoming involved in advocacy of miners' rights and he was a supporter of the Red Ribbon Rebellion.
In 1856 he was elected to the Sandhurst Court which dealt with mining matters and in 1858 to its successor, the mining board of which he became chairman.
His success in mining led him to pursue investment of foreign capital for Victorian mines. In 1887 he formed a company in London in order to introduce British capital into the Maldon
Maldon, Victoria
Maldon is a town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of Mount Alexander local government area. It has been designated "Australia's first notable town" and is celebrated for its 19th-century appearance, maintained since gold-rush days...
mines.
Political career
In 1859 McIntyre was elected to the Sandhurst Municipal Council. This start in politics did not eventuate as he travelled to Europe with his family. He returned in 1862 and rejoined the council, becoming chairman in 1863 and then, when Sandhurst became Bendigo, its first mayor, resigning in 1868.McIntyre tried several times to enter the Parliament of Victoria
Parliament of Victoria
The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of The Queen, represented by the Governor of Victoria; the Legislative Council ; and the Legislative Assembly...
, unsuccessfully contesting Mandurang in 1866 and Sandhurst in 1871 and 1874. In 1877 he stood again and won the seat of Sandhurst. As a noted free trader, he actively opposed protection
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
which contributed to loss of his seat in June 1880, but early in 1881 he won Maldon in the by-election following James 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...
's resignation from the seat.
During 1893–94 McIntyre served as President of the Board of Lands and Works and Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey in the government of Sir James Brown Patterson.
He also served as a member of the royal commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
s on tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s in 1881 and gold-mining in 1889 and was a member of the railway standing committee in 1890.
He represented the Victorian Parliament at the opening of Federal Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
on 9 May 1901 and was presented with a Gold Commonwealth medal. In September 1902, however, he lost his seat.
McIntyre made one campaign for election as a Victorian Free Trade Party
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
Senate candidate to the Parliament of Australia
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
in December 1903, but he was not successful, missing out on a seat by less than 600 votes.
Community service
In Bendigo McIntyre took a special interest in the local hospital, serving as honorary secretary and later as a trustee. He also served as a territorial magistrate and a children's guardian for the Bendigo district.McIntyre involved himself in many aspects of the expatriate Scot. He held the position of President of the Royal Caledonian Society of Melbourne from 1896–98. He was a founder and honorary colonel of the Victorian Scottish Regiment
Victorian Scottish Regiment
The Victorian Scottish Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Australian Army. Formed in 1898 as a volunteer unit of the colonial Victorian Military Forces, the unit went through a number of changes in name over the course of its 62 year history. During World War I many of its members...
.
McIntyre's health broke down after his exhausting but ultimately unsuccessful Senate campaign. However in this period, he still found time for involvement in "things Scottish", playing the role of Bailie Nicol Jarvie
Bailie Nicol Jarvie
Bailie Nicol Jarvie is a brand of whisky distilled and sold by Glenmorangie plc in Scotland. It is named after a character in Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy....
in the Royal Caledonian Society’s October 1903 production of "Rob Roy". He died on 18 January 1904 and was buried at the Back Creek cemetery in Bendigo.
John McIntyre was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(KB) in 1895.