James Robert Dickson KCMG (1832 - 1901)

Born 30 Nov 1832 in Plymouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Annie (Ely) Dickson — married 8 Nov 1855 in Collingwood, Victoria, Australia

Husband of Mary (MacKinlay) Dickson — married 5 Jan 1882 in Carcoar, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 10 Jan 1901 at age 68 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

James Dickson KCMG is Notable.

Sir James Robert Dickson KCMG was a businessman, a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for 23 years and the thirteenth premier of Queensland for fourteen months. A leading supporter of federation, Dickson was mainly responsible for winning a 'yes' vote in the Queensland referendum on the proposed Constitution of Australia in 1900. He was a member of the first federal ministry as Minister of Defence, for ten days until his untimely death. He was a prominent layman in the Church of England, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain and of the Royal Colonial and Imperial Institute.

James Robert Dickson was born on 30th November 1832 in Plymouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom. He was the only son of James Dickson and his wife Mary Maria, née Palmer. ^[1] He was educated at Glasgow High School, and served as a junior clerk in the City of Glasgow Bank. ^[2]

James Dickson KCMG migrated from England to Victoria.

Dickson migrated initially to Victoria in 1854, at the height of the goldrushes. He worked first in the Bank of Australasia and then in his merchant cousin's firm, Rae, Dickson & Co. ^[2]

James married Annie Ely on 8th November 1855 in Collingwood, Victoria. ^[3]

He settled in Queensland in 1862, becoming an auctioneer. He remained assiduous in his attentions to business, becoming a wealthy and influential businessman, and was chairman of the Brisbane Permanent Building and Banking Co. from 1876, foundation chairman of the Queensland Trustees from 1883, and chairman of the Royal Bank of Queensland in the crisis year of 1893. ^[1]

He was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Enoggera in 1873. He was made secretary for public works and mines in 1876, and was treasurer 1876–79 and again 1883–87. ^[1]

On 5th January 1882 in Carcoar, New South Wales, Dickson married Mary MacKinlay, ^[4] who became the first headmistress of the Brisbane Girls' Grammar School. ^[2]

When Dickson lost his seat in 1888, he retired from his auctioneering business and travelled widely in Europe. Dickson was re-elected to the Queensland parliament in a by-election in April 1892 for the seat of Bulimba. In the so-called Continuous Ministry of the late 1890s, Dickson attained the positions of secretary for railways in 1897, Postmaster-General and home secretary 1898–99. In September 1898, after the death of Thomas Byrnes he was made Premier of Queensland. The Continuous Ministry by this stage was falling apart, and Dickson had only fourteen months in office before Anderson Dawson gained the support of the Legislative Assembly to become the leader of the world's first Labour government. The Ministerialists regrouped a week later to vote Dawson out of office. Dickson lacked support to become premier again, and that position instead went to Robert Philp, in whose government Dickson was Chief Secretary. ^[1]

Dickson was a leading supporter of federation and was mainly responsible for winning a 'yes' vote in the Queensland referendum on the proposed Constitution of Australia in 1900. As a result, Dickson was appointed Minister for Defence in the first federal ministry under Edmund Barton on 1st January 1901. He was intending to stand for election to the first federal parliament, but on 10th January he died after taking ill at the Commonwealth's inaugural ceremonies in Sydney. ^[5] He was the first federal minister to die in office. ^[1]

He was accorded a state funeral, proceeding from his residence at Hamilton to All Saints Church of England (Anglican Church). After a short service he was buried in the Nundah Cemetery. ^[1] He was survived by six sons and seven daughters of his first marriage. ^[2]

Dickson was for many years a prominent layman in the Church of England, particularly as financial adviser to the diocese of Brisbane. He was a justice of the peace and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain and of the Royal Colonial and Imperial Institute. ^[2]

Only nine days before he died, Dickson was created Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the New Years Honours List in recognition of services in connection with the Federation of Australian Colonies and the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia'.^[1] The federal electoral division of Dickson in Queensland, and the Canberra suburb of Dickson are named in his memory. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} Wikipedia profile: James Robert Dickson
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Cuthbert, D D. Dickson, Sir James Robert (1832–1901), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1981; accessed online 18 Aug 2019
3. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #2953/1855
4. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #1832/1862; registered at Deniliquin
5. ↑ Queensland Death Index #C60/1901

• Inscription 15623675 - James Robert Dickson from the Australian Cemeteries Index. first accessed online on the 24th of January 2021 at: https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=15623675

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14675774/james-robert-dickson : accessed 24 January 2021), memorial page for Sir James Robert Dickson (30 Nov 1832–10 Jan 1901), Find a Grave Memorial no. 14675774, citing Nundah Historic Cemetery, Nundah, Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia ; Maintained by Find A Grave .

• Grave record for The Hon. Sir James Robert Dickson (30 Nov 1832 - 10 Jan 1901), Billion Graves Record 12300461 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. first accessed online on the 24th of January 2021 at: https://billiongraves.com/grave/James-Robert-Dickson/12300461