Arthur Macalister CMG | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd Premier of Queensland | |
| In office 1 February 1866 – 20 July 1866 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Herbert |
| Succeeded by | Robert Herbert |
| Constituency | Town of Ipswich |
| In office 7 August 1866 – 15 August 1867 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Herbert |
| Succeeded by | Robert Mackenzie |
| Constituency | Town of Ipswich |
| In office 8 January 1874 – 5 June 1876 | |
| Preceded by | Arthur Hunter Palmer |
| Succeeded by | George Thorn Jr |
| Constituency | Ipswich |
| Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 15 November 1870 – 21 June 1871 | |
| Preceded by | Gilbert Eliott |
| Succeeded by | Frederick Forbes |
| Constituency | Eastern Downs |
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Ipswich | |
| In office 14 June 1859 – 10 December 1859 | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Town of Ipswich | |
| In office 10 May 1860 – 18 September 1868 Serving with Frederick Forbes, Ratcliffe Pring, George Reed, John Murphy, Patrick O'Sullivan, Henry Challinor | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Henry Williams |
| In office 22 October 1872 – 14 June 1876 Serving with Benjamin Cribb, John Thompson | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | George Thorn Jr |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Eastern Downs | |
| In office 18 September 1868 – 22 July 1871 | |
| Preceded by | John Douglas |
| Succeeded by | Edmond Thornton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 January 1818 |
| Died | 23 March 1883(1883-03-23) (aged 65) |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Wallace Tassie |
Arthur Macalister, CMG (18 January 1818 – 23 March 1883) was three times Premier of Queensland, Australia.
Early life
Macalister was born in Glasgow, Scotland, son of John Macalister, a cabinet maker, and his wife Mary, née Scoullar. Macalister was educated in Glasgow and emigrated to Australia with his wife Elizabeth Wallace née Tassie. They arrived in Sydney on 28 September 1839 on the Abbotsford.[1]
Macalister was appointed to the positions of clerk of Petty Sessions and postmaster at Scone, New South Wales in June 1840. In 1846 he was working for a solicitor in Sydney. In 1850 he was admitted as a solicitor and attorney.[1]
Political career
In 1859, the colony of Queensland was separated from New South Wales and Macalister became a member of its first parliament. He was appointed Secretary for Public Lands and Works in 1862, and then became premier in February 1866. He resigned in July, before again becoming premier the following month. He resigned and became chairman of committees the next year.[1][2]
Macalister lost his seat in June 1871 but was re-elected for Ipswich in 1872 in a by-election.[1] He again became premier in 1874, before resigning in 1876 and taking office as Queensland's agent-general in London.[1]
Later life
Macalister's retired in 1881.[1] He was created Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1876.
Macalister died near Glasgow on 23 March 1883 at the age of 65. He was survived by his wife, who died 14 September 1894.[1]
Family
Macalister married Elizabeth Wallace Tassie in Edinburgh, Scotland with whom he had 9 children.
Legacy
A number of street names in the Brisbane suburb of Carina Heights are identical to the surnames of former Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. One of these is Macalister Street.
The electoral district of Macalister created in the 2017 Queensland state electoral redistribution was named after him.[3]
The Macalister Range along the Far North Queensland coast between Cairns and Port Douglas was named in honour of the Premier by George Augustus Frederick Elphinstone Dalrymple during the 1873 ‘Queensland North-East Coast Expedition.[4][5] The range name is also used for a locality in Far North Queensland and Macalister Range National Park.
The township of Macalister on the Western Darling Downs was named after him.[6][5]
See also
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1860–1863; 1863–1867; 1867–1868; 1868–1870; 1870–1871; 1871–1873; 1873–1878
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Wilson, Paul D (1974). "Macalister, Arthur (1818-1883)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 5. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. pp. 118–120. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Mr Arthur Macalister (1818-1883)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- ^ Queensland Redistribution Commission (26 May 2017). "Determination of Queensland's Legislative Assembly Electoral Districts" (PDF). Queensland Government Gazette. p. 176. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Macalister Range – range in Cairns Region (entry 20354)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ a b "NOMENCLATURE OF QUEENSLAND.—178". The Courier-mail. No. 828. Queensland, Australia. 25 April 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 26 April 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Macalister – town in Western Downs Region (entry 20349)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Macalister, Arthur". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
External links
