William Campbell (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
William Campbell was one of Australia
's richest pastoralists, one of the first people to discover gold
in Australia, and a conservative Victorian
policitian.
Campbell was born in 1810 in Aberfoyle
, Scotland
. From 1834, Campbell managed a substantial collection of sheep farms in Inverness-shire
and Argyll
in the west of Scotland. Campbell migrated to Australia, arriving in Sydney
, New South Wales
in December 1838. He approached Governor George Gipps
and the Macarthur family
with letters of reference from the Colonial Office
, and was soon given a job managing one of the Macarthurs' stations
near Goulburn
in New South Wales' Southern Tablelands
.
In 1846, Campbell set out from the Macarthurs' stud farm
at Camden
, New South Wales, with 150 merino
s, and overlanded to the Port Phillip District
, searching for fresh pasture. After looking unsuccessfully for watered land in the uninhabited northern parts of the district, and being unable to obtain grazing licences elsewhere, Campbell settled near the town of Clunes
, buying Tourall station, near the Clunes station owned by his brother-in-law
Donald Cameron.
In early 1850, Campbell discovered gold
while upon the Clunes station owned by Cameron; he showed the gold to Cameron, but they decided not to make the find public, for fear that a gold rush
– the Victorian gold rush
ultimately came the following year – would impact on their pastoral activities, and would diminish the pool of available labour in the colony.
Campbell was a supporter of the independence of the colony
of Victoria
from New South Wales, and following separation in July 1851, was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council
at the first elections in November 1851. In December 1852 and January 1853, Campbell chaired a Select Committee of the Council which investigated organisation on the goldfields, and concluded that the existing arrangements, including the rigid licencing system
, should continue despite much opposition from officials who argued that the system was failing. Campbell had previously advocated for the imposition of licences on the Mount Alexander
goldfield, advising the Colonial Secretary
that the miners were faring well and could easily afford to pay the fee.
In 1853, a Select Committee was established by the Council to consider rewards for the discovery of gold, and a reward of £ 1000 was ultimately awarded to Campbell; his discovery was the earliest to be officially recognised and rewarded. However, Campbell's opponents in the Council sought to use the reward against him, and he was only given around £ 500, which he divided between the workers who had been with him at the time of the discovery, and various charities
.
Campbell left the Council in 1854 and travelled to England
, to advocate against land reforms being proposed by Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe
and other members of the Council, and for the continuation of an 1847 Order in Council allowing for generous pastoral lease
s over unalienated Crown land
in the unsettled parts of the colony. He returned to Victoria in 1859 and was elected to the Council again in 1862, representing North Western Province.
Following the introduction of a land tax in 1877, which applied to land over a certain size and value, Campbell divided up his properties between the members of his family so as to escape paying the tax. By the late 1870s, Campbell's financial holdings were at their peak, at one time holding nine stations at once, as well as interests in industry, including tramways and the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company
; Campbell also used his substantial capital to finance loans to other pastoralists.
Campbell ultimately left Australia in 1882, moving to England, though still retaining his substantial Australian holdings which were managed by Melbourne
merchant James Graham. Before leaving, Campbell published a final address to his constituents in North West Province, railing against the land tax, arguing that it would result in a decline in the property market and would discourage investment in the colony; he also criticised the democratic reforms which in his view had led to the imposition of the tax, including the removal of the property qualification for the Victorian Legislative Assembly
and the introduction of payments to members of parliament. Campbell consistently maintained this position, and "went to the grave convinced the country had been converted to communism
."
Campbell died in London
, England in 1896. On his death his estate was reportedly worth more than half a million pounds (or more than approximately A$100,000,000 ).
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...
's richest pastoralists, one of the first people to discover gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in Australia, and a conservative Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
policitian.
Campbell was born in 1810 in Aberfoyle
Aberfoyle
Aberfoyle is a village in the region of Stirling, Scotland, northwest of Glasgow.The town is situated on the River Forth at the base of Craigmore...
, 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...
. From 1834, Campbell managed a substantial collection of sheep farms in Inverness-shire
Inverness-shire
The County of Inverness or Inverness-shire was a general purpose county of Scotland, with the burgh of Inverness as the county town, until 1975, when, under the Local Government Act 1973, the county area was divided between the two-tier Highland region and the unitary Western Isles. The Highland...
and Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
in the west of Scotland. Campbell migrated to Australia, arriving in Sydney
Sydney
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...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in December 1838. He approached Governor George Gipps
George Gipps
Sir George Gipps was Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Australia, for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship was during a period of great change for New South Wales and Australia, as well as for New Zealand, which was administered as part of New South Wales for much of this...
and the Macarthur family
John Macarthur (wool pioneer)
John Macarthur was a British army officer, entrepreneur, politician, architect and pioneer of settlement in Australia. Macarthur is recognised as the pioneer of the wool industry that was to boom in Australia in the early 19th century and become a trademark of the nation...
with letters of reference from the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
, and was soon given a job managing one of the Macarthurs' stations
Station (Australian agriculture)
Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for livestock production. It corresponds to the North American term ranch or South American estancia...
near Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
in New South Wales' Southern Tablelands
Southern Tablelands
The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of the State of New South Wales, Australia. This area is located west of the Great Dividing Range.The area is characterised by flat country which has generally been extensively cleared and used for grazing purposes...
.
In 1846, Campbell set out from the Macarthurs' stud farm
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
at Camden
Camden, New South Wales
-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...
, New South Wales, with 150 merino
Merino
The Merino is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep...
s, and overlanded to the Port Phillip District
Port Phillip District
The Port Phillip District was an historical administrative division of the Colony of New South Wales, existing from September 1836 until 1 July 1851, when it was separated from New South Wales and became the Colony of Victoria....
, searching for fresh pasture. After looking unsuccessfully for watered land in the uninhabited northern parts of the district, and being unable to obtain grazing licences elsewhere, Campbell settled near the town of Clunes
Clunes, Victoria
Clunes is a town in Victoria, Australia, located 36 kilometres north of Ballarat, in the Shire of Hepburn. At the 2006 census it had a population of 1,026.- History :...
, buying Tourall station, near the Clunes station owned by his brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
Donald Cameron.
In early 1850, Campbell discovered gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
while upon the Clunes station owned by Cameron; he showed the gold to Cameron, but they decided not to make the find public, for fear that a gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
– 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...
ultimately came the following year – would impact on their pastoral activities, and would diminish the pool of available labour in the colony.
Campbell was a supporter of the independence of the colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
from New South Wales, and following separation in July 1851, was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
at the first elections in November 1851. In December 1852 and January 1853, Campbell chaired a Select Committee of the Council which investigated organisation on the goldfields, and concluded that the existing arrangements, including the rigid licencing system
Miner's Licence
The Miner's Licence was the colonial government's response to the Australian gold rushes and the need to provide infrastructure including policing. The Governor of New South Wales, Sir Charles Fitzroy invoked a sixteenth-century lawsuit, R v Earl of Northfartland which was decided in 1568, to...
, should continue despite much opposition from officials who argued that the system was failing. Campbell had previously advocated for the imposition of licences on the Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander is a mountain that is located approximately 125 km north-west of Melbourne, near the small town of Harcourt. It rises 350 metres above the surrounding area to a level of 744 metres above sea level...
goldfield, advising the Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
that the miners were faring well and could easily afford to pay the fee.
In 1853, a Select Committee was established by the Council to consider rewards for the discovery of gold, and a reward of £ 1000 was ultimately awarded to Campbell; his discovery was the earliest to be officially recognised and rewarded. However, Campbell's opponents in the Council sought to use the reward against him, and he was only given around £ 500, which he divided between the workers who had been with him at the time of the discovery, and various charities
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
.
Campbell left the Council in 1854 and travelled to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to advocate against land reforms being proposed by Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe
Charles La Trobe
Charles Joseph La Trobe was the first lieutenant-governor of the colony of Victoria .-Early life:La Trobe was born in London, the son of Christian Ignatius Latrobe, a family of Huguenot origin...
and other members of the Council, and for the continuation of an 1847 Order in Council allowing for generous pastoral lease
Pastoral lease
A pastoral lease is Crown land that government allows to be leased, generally for the purposes of farming.-Australia:Pastoral leases exist in both Australian commonwealth law and state jurisdictions....
s over unalienated Crown land
Crown land
In Commonwealth realms, Crown land is an area belonging to the monarch , the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
in the unsettled parts of the colony. He returned to Victoria in 1859 and was elected to the Council again in 1862, representing North Western Province.
Following the introduction of a land tax in 1877, which applied to land over a certain size and value, Campbell divided up his properties between the members of his family so as to escape paying the tax. By the late 1870s, Campbell's financial holdings were at their peak, at one time holding nine stations at once, as well as interests in industry, including tramways and the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company
Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company
The Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company was a railway company in Victoria, Australia. The company was founded on 20 January 1853 to build Australia's first railway broad gauge line from Melbourne to the port of Sandridge...
; Campbell also used his substantial capital to finance loans to other pastoralists.
Campbell ultimately left Australia in 1882, moving to England, though still retaining his substantial Australian holdings which were managed by 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...
merchant James Graham. Before leaving, Campbell published a final address to his constituents in North West Province, railing against the land tax, arguing that it would result in a decline in the property market and would discourage investment in the colony; he also criticised the democratic reforms which in his view had led to the imposition of the tax, including the removal of the property qualification for 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:...
and the introduction of payments to members of parliament. Campbell consistently maintained this position, and "went to the grave convinced the country had been converted to communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
."
Campbell died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England in 1896. On his death his estate was reportedly worth more than half a million pounds (or more than approximately A$100,000,000 ).