Lancelot Stirling

Sir John Lancelot Stirling KCMG (5 November 1849 – 24 May 1932), generally known as Sir Lancelot Stirling, was an Australian politician and grazier. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1881 to 1887, representing Mount Barker, and 1888 to 1890, representing Gumeracha. He was then a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 1891 to 1932, representing the Southern District. He was President of the Legislative Council from 1901 to 1932 and was Chief Secretary in the seven-day Solomon Ministry of 1899.

Stirling was born at Strathalbyn, South Australia, the son of Edward Stirling (1804–1873) and his wife Harriett, née Taylor and brother of Sir Edward Charles Stirling. J. L. Stirling was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. and LL.B Stirling was a good athlete and, representing Cambridge against Oxford, won the 120 yards hurdles. Stirling also won the amateur championship of England in this event in 1870 and again in 1872, his time in the latter year being 16.8 seconds, considered a good performance at that time.

Stirling read for the bar and was admitted at the Inner Temple in 1872, but never practised. Stirling returned to South Australia soon afterwards, became a pastoralist, and bred prize horses and merino sheep. He entered the South Australian Legislative Assembly in 1881 for Mount Barker, which he held until April 1887, and afterwards represented Gumeracha until 1890, when he became a member of the then-conservative South Australian Legislative Council, representing the Southern District. In December 1899 Stirling was chief secretary in the conservative Solomon government but this ministry was defeated as soon as the house met. In 1901 Stirling was elected President of the South Australian Legislative Council, and would serve in the position for a record 31 years.