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