Peter Fitzallan MacDonald

Peter MacDonald
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Blackall
In office
18 November 1873  28 November 1878
Preceded by New seat
Succeeded by Archibald Archer
Personal details
Born Peter Fitzallan MacDonald
(1830-09-04)4 September 1830
Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
Died 19 June 1919(1919-06-19) (aged 88)
Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Resting place Yaamba Cemetery
Nationality Australian
Spouse(s) Julia Louise Ayrey (b.1861 d.1920)
Occupation Gold miner, Grazier, Squatter
Religion Presbyterian

Peter Fitzallan MacDonald (4 September 1830 - 19 June 1919) was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.[1]

Early life

MacDonald was born at Campbelltown, New South Wales to Alexander Macdonald and his wife Sarah (née Warby). He was educated at The King's School, Parramatta, and gained farming experience before heading to the Victorian goldfields and later becoming manager of Ingleby station near Geelong.[2]

He arrived in Queensland in 1857 and soon set out on a series of pastoral explorations with fellow squatters and aboriginal guides with the plan of taking up as many leases as possible. One such property, Cullinlaringo, which he had sold to Horatio Wills in 1860, was the scene where the Cullin-La-Ringo massacre occurred in 1861. MacDonald was one of the group who set out to avenge the slaughter.[2]

Politics

MacDonald entered state politics in 1873, winning the seat of Blackall.[1] A supporter of Samuel Griffith, he supported secular education and liberal land legislation.[2]

In 1869, he sued The Crown for resuming western leaseholds he owned. Known as " The Great Northern Run", the case dragged on until in 1880 he was awarded £22,700. For this he was attacked for using the parliament to further his own interests as opposed to his constituents.[2]

In 1876 he announced he was sick of politics and did not stand for re-election in 1878.[2] He stood for the seat of Rockhampton North in 1888[2] but was defeated by Rees Jones.[3]

Later life

MacDonald became more conservative and in 1890-1891, he set out to thwart the Shearer's union by employing non-union labor. As well as his pastoral leases, he purchased hotels throughout Queensland as well as the Northern Argus newspaper and a meat works at Lakes Creek, both based in Rockhampton.[2]

Personal life

In Geelong in 1861 he married Julia Louise Ayrey, the orphaned daughter of a wealthy Western District pastoralist and together they had seven children.[2]

MacDonald died in Rockhampton in 1919 and was buried at Yaamba Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and two daughters.[2]

References

Parliament of Queensland
New seat Member for Blackall
18731878
Succeeded by
Archibald Archer
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