James Strachan (Australian politician)
James Ford Strachan (1810 – 14 April 1875) was a merchant, grazier and politician in colonial Victoria (Australia), member of the Victorian Legislative Council.[1]
Strachan was born in Montrose, Scotland, the fifth son of John Strachan and his wife Isobel, née Smith.[2] Strachan arrived in Van Diemen's Land in 1832 with his widowed mother and two sisters.[2] He was an early settler in Port Phillip District (which later became Victoria), and a leading merchant in Melbourne, in which city he built the first brick store.[1]
Strachan was an active promoter of separation from New South Wales, and when the colony of Victoria was constituted in 1851 he was returned to the semi-elective Legislative Council, then the only chamber, as member for Geelong in October of that year.[1] After responsible government was conceded in 1855, Strachan was elected to the first wholly elective Legislative Council for the South-Western Province in November 1856.[3] He was a member of the second Haines Ministry without portfolio from April 1857 to March 1858.[1] During the great constitutional battle between the two Houses on the tariff and Darling grant "tacks" Strachan took a leading part on the side of the Council, and resigning his seat for the South-Western Province, contested the Western Province against Henry Miller, who had accepted office under Sir James McCulloch, and defeated him on 10 August 1866.[4] Strachan held the seat until September 1874.[3]
Strachan died at Geelong, Victoria on 14 April 1875, aged sixty-five years.[1] He was married to Lilias Cross née Murray,[3] daughter of Hugh Murray, a fellow Scottish emigrant, merchant and grazier.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Mennell, Philip (1892). "
Strachan, Hon. James Ford". The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co. Wikisource - 1 2 3 Brown, P. L. "Strachan, James Ford (1810–1875)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
- 1 2 3 "Strachan, James Ford". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria.
- ↑ "Telegraphic.". The Brisbane Courier. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 11 August 1866. p. 4. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
| Victorian Legislative Council | ||
|---|---|---|
| New district | Member for Geelong 1851–1856 With: Robert Robinson 1851–1852 Alexander Thomson 1852–1854 James Cowie 1853–1854 Alexander Fyfe 1854–1856 James Harrison 1854–1856 |
Original Council abolished |
| New district | Member for South Western Province 1856–1866 With: James Henty 1856–66 William Roope1856–60, John McCrae 1860–66 J. Cowie 1856–58, G. Coppin 1858–63, C. Jenner 1863–66 Robert Hope 1856–64, John Lowe 1864–66 |
Succeeded by George Rolfe |
| Preceded by Henry Miller |
Member for Western Province 1866–1874 With: Stephen Henty 1866–70, William Skene 1870–74 Charles Sladen 1866–68, Robert Simson 1868–74 James Palmer 1866–70, Thomas McKellar 1870–74 Niel Black 1866–74 |
Succeeded by Thomas Bromell |