Thomas Joseph Byrnes
Encyclopedia
Thomas Joseph Byrnes was Premier of Queensland
from April 1898 until his death, having previously served in several ministerial positions in his parliamentary career.
, Brisbane
, Queensland
, to Irish
immigrants Patrick Byrnes and his wife Anna, née Tighe. Byrnes was educated at Bowen Primary School, then, winning a scholarship
where topped the state, he studied at Brisbane Grammar School
and then studied arts and law
at the University of Melbourne
, graduating with honours in both. In 1882-83 Byrnes taught at Xavier College
.
. Byrnes' talent brought him to the attention of fellow barrister Sir Samuel Griffith
, then Premier of Queensland, who had him appointed Solicitor-General
with a seat in the Legislative Council. Byrnes stood down from the Legislative Council to successfully stand for Cairns
in the Legislative Assembly
in 1893.
Byrnes continued his private law practice and participated in two major Supreme Court of Queensland
cases. In the Queensland Investment Co. v. Grimley case, Byrnes successful conduct of the defence was praised widely. In the John Robb
arbitration case of 1892, praise for Byrnes skill was accompanied by public objection to the high fees paid to Samuel Griffith as leading counsel and to Byrnes as one of his assistants. In 1895 and 1897, Byrnes represented Queensland at meetings of the Federal Council of Australasia
.
Sir Thomas McIlwraith
appointed him as Attorney-General in the Continuous Ministry
, and when Hugh Nelson
stepped down as Premier; Byrnes, the youngest member of the Ministry by a large margin, became Premier.
then pneumonia
and died on 27 September 1898. Byrnes was buried in Toowong cemetery after a state funeral
.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
from April 1898 until his death, having previously served in several ministerial positions in his parliamentary career.
Early life
Byrnes was born in Spring HillSpring Hill, Queensland
Spring Hill is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 2 km north of the central business district. Parts of Spring Hill can be considered to be extensions of the Brisbane CBD.-Schools:Spring Hill is serviced by a number of schools...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, to Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants Patrick Byrnes and his wife Anna, née Tighe. Byrnes was educated at Bowen Primary School, then, winning a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
where topped the state, he studied at Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
and then studied arts and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, graduating with honours in both. In 1882-83 Byrnes taught at Xavier College
Xavier College
Xavier College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, with its main campus located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
.
Career
Byrnes was admitted as a barrister in Victoria on 8 July 1884 and returned for a Queensland admission on 5 August; he then began a successful career as a barristerBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. Byrnes' talent brought him to the attention of fellow barrister Sir Samuel Griffith
Samuel Griffith
Sir Samuel Walker Griffith GCMG QC, was an Australian politician, Premier of Queensland, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and a principal author of the Constitution of Australia.-Early life:...
, then Premier of Queensland, who had him appointed Solicitor-General
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
with a seat in the Legislative Council. Byrnes stood down from the Legislative Council to successfully stand for Cairns
Electoral district of Cairns
The electoral district of Cairns is an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in the state of Queensland, Australia.The division encompasses the central business district and inner-suburbs of Cairns, in Far North Queensland...
in the Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
in 1893.
Byrnes continued his private law practice and participated in two major Supreme Court of Queensland
Supreme Court of Queensland
The Supreme Court of Queensland, which is based at the Law Courts Complex, is the superior court for the Australian State of Queensland and sits around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy...
cases. In the Queensland Investment Co. v. Grimley case, Byrnes successful conduct of the defence was praised widely. In the John Robb
John Robb
John Robb is a Codhead vocalist in the punk rock band Goldblade. Based in Manchester, he has also written several books on music and frequently appears as a journalist/commentator on documentary/light entertainment music shows.-Early life:Robb was born in Fleetwood and grew up in suburban Blackpool...
arbitration case of 1892, praise for Byrnes skill was accompanied by public objection to the high fees paid to Samuel Griffith as leading counsel and to Byrnes as one of his assistants. In 1895 and 1897, Byrnes represented Queensland at meetings of the Federal Council of Australasia
Federal Council of Australasia
The Federal Council of Australasia was a forerunner to the current Commonwealth of Australia, though its structure and members were different. It consisted of the then British colonies of New Zealand, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Fiji, and others. However, the largest colony in the region,...
.
Sir Thomas McIlwraith
Thomas McIlwraith
Sir Thomas McIlwraith KCMG was for many years the dominant figure of colonial politics in Queensland. He was Premier of Queensland from 1877 to 1883, again in 1888, and for a third time in 1893...
appointed him as Attorney-General in the Continuous Ministry
Continuous Ministry
The Continuous Ministry or Continuous Cabinet was an informal designation used to describe two nineteenth century colonial governments: in Queensland, Australia from 1890 to 1899; and in New Zealand from 1876 to 1890 except for 1877-79 & 1884-87....
, and when Hugh Nelson
Hugh Nelson
Sir Hugh Muir Nelson, KCMG was Premier of Queensland from 1893 to 1898.Nelson was born at Kilmarnock, Scotland. His father, Dr William Lambie Nelson, was elected to the first Queensland parliament in 1860 but was unseated because he was a minister of religion...
stepped down as Premier; Byrnes, the youngest member of the Ministry by a large margin, became Premier.
Late life
Byrnes' ability had led many to expect great things of him, but he suddenly contracted measlesMeasles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
then pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and died on 27 September 1898. Byrnes was buried in Toowong cemetery after a state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
.