John Rae (administrator)
Encyclopedia
John Rae was an Australia
n administrator, painter and author.
, Scotland
, the son of George Rae, banker, and his wife Jane, née Edmond. He was educated at the Aberdeen Grammar School
, Marischal College
and University of Aberdeen
. He graduated Master of Arts in 1832. He studied law and in 1839 went to Australia to take up the position of secretary and accountant to the North British Australasian Loan and Investment Company.
on 8 December 1839. In 1842 he was responsible for the letterpress for Sydney Illustrated, and was appointed town clerk of Sydney on 27 July 1843, the second to occupy that position.
At the end of 1853 the Sydney corporation was abolished, and from 1 January 1854 the city was managed by three commissioners, of whom Rae was one. In 1856 John Smith, then mayor of Melbourne
, endeavored to have Rae appointed town clerk of Melbourne, but Edmond Gerald Fitzgibbon
was chosen for the position.
In April 1857 the city council of Sydney was again constituted, and in July Rae was appointed secretary and accountant to the railway commissioners. In January 1861 he became under-secretary for works and commissioner for railways. In this post, he supported a standard gauge
throughout the colonies.
In 1877 Rae gave up the office of commissioner for railways, and in 1888 he became a member of the civil service board. He retired in 1893 at the age of 80.
In August 1844 a fancy dress ball was given by the mayor
of Sydney, the first of its kind in Australia. Rae wrote The Mayor's Fancy Ball, a long humorous and satirical poem on this event which was printed anonymously in four issues of the Sydney Morning Herald in April 1845. He married Elizabeth Thompson in the same year.
His first acknowledged publication was The Book of the Prophet Isaiah rendered into English Blank Verse, which was published in 1853.
He published in 1869, Gleanings from my Scrap-Book in two series, collections of his work in verse, which were followed by Gleanings from My ScrapBook: Third Series, dated 1874. This consisted of the The Mayor's Fancy Ball already referred to. The three series were printed by the author himself, and are remarkably good examples of amateur printing.
He was also a good amateur painter in water-colours; a series of 26 views of the streets of Sydney are held by the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
At his death in 1900 he was survived by four sons and two daughters.
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 administrator, painter and author.
Early life
John Rae was born at AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, 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...
, the son of George Rae, banker, and his wife Jane, née Edmond. He was educated at the Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as The Grammar is a state secondary school in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department...
, Marischal College
Marischal College
Marischal College is a building and former university in the centre of the city of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland. The building is owned by the University of Aberdeen and used for ceremonial events...
and University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
. He graduated Master of Arts in 1832. He studied law and in 1839 went to Australia to take up the position of secretary and accountant to the North British Australasian Loan and Investment Company.
Career as an administrator
He arrived in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 8 December 1839. In 1842 he was responsible for the letterpress for Sydney Illustrated, and was appointed town clerk of Sydney on 27 July 1843, the second to occupy that position.
At the end of 1853 the Sydney corporation was abolished, and from 1 January 1854 the city was managed by three commissioners, of whom Rae was one. In 1856 John Smith, then mayor of 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...
, endeavored to have Rae appointed town clerk of Melbourne, but Edmond Gerald Fitzgibbon
Edmond Gerald FitzGibbon
Edmund Gerald Fitz Gibbon, CMG, was a barrister and Town clerk of Melbourne.Fitz Gibbon was born in Cork, Ireland, son of Gibbon Carew Fitz Gibbon and his wife Catherine, née Hurley....
was chosen for the position.
In April 1857 the city council of Sydney was again constituted, and in July Rae was appointed secretary and accountant to the railway commissioners. In January 1861 he became under-secretary for works and commissioner for railways. In this post, he supported a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
throughout the colonies.
In 1877 Rae gave up the office of commissioner for railways, and in 1888 he became a member of the civil service board. He retired in 1893 at the age of 80.
Artistic and personal life
Upon his arrival in Sydney, he became interested in the mechanics' school of arts; he delivered in connection with it a series of lectures on "Taste" and "The English Language" in 1841.In August 1844 a fancy dress ball was given by the 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 Sydney, the first of its kind in Australia. Rae wrote The Mayor's Fancy Ball, a long humorous and satirical poem on this event which was printed anonymously in four issues of the Sydney Morning Herald in April 1845. He married Elizabeth Thompson in the same year.
His first acknowledged publication was The Book of the Prophet Isaiah rendered into English Blank Verse, which was published in 1853.
He published in 1869, Gleanings from my Scrap-Book in two series, collections of his work in verse, which were followed by Gleanings from My ScrapBook: Third Series, dated 1874. This consisted of the The Mayor's Fancy Ball already referred to. The three series were printed by the author himself, and are remarkably good examples of amateur printing.
He was also a good amateur painter in water-colours; a series of 26 views of the streets of Sydney are held by the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
At his death in 1900 he was survived by four sons and two daughters.