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Sir Thomas McIlwraith

The Honourable
Sir Thomas McIlwraith
KCMG
Thomas McIlwraith.jpg
8th Premier of Queensland
In office
21 January 1879 – 13 November 1883
Preceded by John Douglas
Succeeded by Samuel Griffith
Constituency Mulgrave
In office
13 June 1888 – 30 November 1888
Preceded by Samuel Griffith
Succeeded by Boyd Dunlop Morehead
Constituency Brisbane North
In office
27 March 1893 – 27 October 1893
Preceded by Sir Samuel Griffith
Succeeded by Hugh Nelson
Constituency Brisbane North
11th Treasurer of Queensland
In office
21 January 1879 – 5 January 1882
Preceded by James Dickson
Succeeded by Archibald Archer
Constituency Mulgrave
In office
13 June 1888 – 30 November 1888
Preceded by Samuel Griffith
Succeeded by William Pattison
Constituency Brisbane North
In office
12 August 1890 – 27 March 1893
Preceded by John Donaldson
Succeeded by Hugh Nelson
Constituency Brisbane North
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Warrego
In office
5 January 1870 – 8 August 1871
Preceded by Arthur Hodgson
Succeeded by Archibald Buchanan
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Maranoa
In office
25 November 1873 – 20 November 1878
Preceded by William Miles
Succeeded by James Lalor
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Mulgrave
In office
21 November 1878 – 5 June 1886
Preceded by Walter Scott
Succeeded by Walter Adams
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Brisbane North
In office
5 May 1888 – 21 March 1896
Serving with Samuel Griffith, John Kingsbury, Robert Fraser
Preceded by New seat
Succeeded by Thomas MacDonald-Paterson
Personal details
Born 17 May 1835 (1835-05-17)
Ayr, Scotland
Died 17 July 1900 (1900-07-18) (aged 65)
London, England
Political party Ministerialist
Spouse(s) Margaret Whannell
(1863–1877)
Harriette Ann Mosman
(1879–1900)

Sir Thomas McIlwraith KCMG (17 May 1835 – 17 July 1900) was for many years the dominant figure of colonial politics in Queensland. He was Premier of Queensland from 1879 to 1883, again in 1888, and for a third time in 1893. In common with most politicians of his era, McIlwraith was an influential businessman, who combined his parliamentary career with a prosperous involvement in the pastoral industry.

Thomas McIlwraith was born in Ayr, Scotland in 1835, one of four sons of John McIlwraith, plumber and shipowner, and his wife Janet Hamilton née Howat. His eldest brother, John (1828–1902), migrated to Victoria in 1853; his youngest brother, Andrew (1844–1932), co-founded McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co in London with Malcolm McEacharn.

McIlwraith studied civil engineering at the University of Glasgow.

McIlwraith's brother John's success in Melbourne persuaded him, in 1854, to migrate to Victoria where he worked as a surveyor and engineer for the Department of Railways, and subsequently as a partner with Messrs Cornish and Bruce, railway contractors. He also invested in eight pastoral holdings in the Maranoa district in Queensland.

He retained close relations with his brother John, and on 6 June 1863 married Margaret Whannell, sister of John's wife. They had three daughters, Jessie (b. 1866), Mary (b. 1868) and Blanche (b. 1872). He eventually moved to Queensland, but Margaret was reluctant to live in isolated Merivale station. In 1871 she visited Merivale, but soon returned to Melbourne for Blanche's birth. In 1874 they decided to live in Brisbane. Thomas found that she was drinking heavily, and sent her to Scotland where she died in 1877. McIlwraith fathered an illegitimate daughter in Victoria. In 1877 McIlwraith was a founding partner of the North Australian Pastoral Company. In 1879 he married Harriette Ann née Mosman. Harriette was the sister of Hugh Mosman, who discovered gold in Charters Towers, and Cecilia Mosman, wife of his political colleague Arthur Palmer (also Premier of Queensland); she gave birth to his fourth legitimate daughter in 1881.


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