Captain Sir Charles MacMahon (10 July 1824 – 28 August 1891) was an Australian politician who twice served as

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

of the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presiding ...

and as

Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

. MacMahon was born County Tyrone, Ireland, to a wealthy Irish family and served in the British army. He obtained a veterinary diploma in 1852, and soon left for Australia to join the

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

. He arrived in Melbourne on 18 November 1852.

Life

On 25 November 1853, MacMahon was appointed Assistant Commissioner of Police by William Henry Fancourt Mitchell and a member of the Victorian Legislative Council. When Mitchell went to England in 1854–55, MacMahon became the acting

. He was Chief Commissioner from 1856 to 1858 when he resigned, owing to a disagreement on a matter of discipline with the then Chief Secretary, Sir

John O'Shanassy Sir John O'Shanassy, KCMG (18 February 1818 – 5 May 1883), was an Irish-Australian politician who served as the 2nd Premier of Victoria. O'Shanassy was born near Thurles in County Tipperary, Ireland, the son of a surveyor, and came to the Por ...

. MacMahon had been a member of the Executive and Legislative Councils in 1853–56. From August 1861 to August 1864 he represented West Bourke in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, and was minister without portfolio in the O'Shanassy ministry till June 1863. From February 1866 to around February 1878 he represented West Melbourne and was Speaker of the Assembly between April 1871 and April 1877. On 29 September 1875 he was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

by letters patent for his services as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. The elections of May 1877 brought in a new

Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

ministry and change of Speakers. MacMahon again represented West Melbourne in the assembly from 1880 to 1886 and was Speaker again from 11 May to 29 June 1880. He retired from politics in 1886 and died in East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Charles was the son of the Right Honorable

William MacMahon Sir William MacMahon, 1st Baronet (1776–1837) was an Irish barrister and judge of the early nineteenth century. He was a member of a Limerick family which became politically prominent through their influence with the Prince Regent, later King Ge ...

, an Irish judge, and his second wife Charlotte ''née'' Shaw. Charles MacMahon was twice married; first, to Sophie Campbell, sister of a Canadian barrister who became a magistrate at Beechworth, Victoria; and second, to Clara Ann, daughter of C. J. Webster of Yea. He had no children.

References

Charles MacMahon

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

, Volume 5, MUP, 1974. {{DEFAULTSORT:Macmahon, Charles 1824 births 1891 deaths 19th-century Irish people Politicians from County Tyrone Chief Commissioners of Victoria Police Victoria (Australia) state politicians Irish expatriates in Australia Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly 19th-century Australian politicians