John Douglas (Queensland politician)

Early life

Douglas was born in London, the seventh son of Henry Alexander Douglas

Politics

He was elected for the Darling Downs and for Camden in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly until resigning on 17 July 1861. He moved to Queensland in 1863.

On 12 May 1863 he was elected as member for Port Curtis in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. He resigned on 1 February 1866, in order to be appointed on to the Queensland Legislative Council, which occurred on 22 February 1866.

In 1871 Douglas returned to Queensland and became insolvent on 23 February 1872. Lewis Adolphus Bernays claimed Douglas had more success as a clever political wire-puller behind the scenes than he had in parliament.

Later life

In 1865 Augustus Charles Gregory, Maurice Charles O'Connell and Douglas applied for a special grant of land to erect a Masonic Hall in Brisbane. This was granted on 15 January 1865.

In 1882 he was elected president of Brisbane's Johnsonian Club.

In 1888 Douglas returned to his old position on Thursday Island. In 1890 he was one of the organisers of the rescue of survivors from .

Port Douglas is named in his honour.

Personal life

Douglas was married twice, first on 22 January 1861 to Mary Ann, daughter of the Rev. William West Simpson. She was killed in a carriage accident 23 November 1876 and, in 1877, he married for the second time, to Sarah, daughter of Michael Hickey, with whom he had four sons:

• Edward Archibald Douglas (1877–1947), was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland in March 1929
• Henry Alexander Cecil Douglas (1879–1917), a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
• Hugh Maxwell Douglas (1881–1918), a lieutenant in the 47th Battalion, 1st AIF, who died 8 April 1918 aged 37, while fighting at Dernacourt in France during World War I .
• Robert Johnstone Douglas (1883–1972), was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1923 and married Annie Alice May Ball, daughter of Townsville pioneer Andrew Ball

Douglas died on Thursday Island on 23 July 1904.

Descendants

Through his son Henry, he was a grandfather of Alexander Michael Douglas (b. 1926), and a great-grandfather of Alexander Rodney Douglas, formerly a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, representing the seat of Gaven.

References

References

1. {{Dictionary of Australian Biography
2. "Durham University Calendar 1857".
3. "Mr John Douglas (1828-1904)".
4. {{Cite QldMLA
5. Joyce, R. B.. "Douglas, John (1828 - 1904)".
6. (27 September 2018). "Masonic Records in the Archives". [[Queensland State Archives]].
7. (5 June 1882). "The Brisbane Courier.". [[The Brisbane Courier]].
8. (4 March 1890). "Rev. A. McLaren's account.". The Brisbane Courier.
9. "Queensland place names search".
10. McPherson, B. H.. "Douglas, Edward Archibald (1877–1947)". National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
11. (2 November 1915). "Douglas Hugh Maxwell : SERN Lieutenant : POB Toowong QLD : POE Brisbane QLD : NOK W Douglas Hannah Elizabeth". [[National Archives of Australia]].
12. McPherson, B. H.. "Douglas, Robert Johnstone (1883–1972)". National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.