Charles William Midson (30 August 1837 – 8 April 1903) was a

builder Builder may refer to: * Construction worker, who specializes in building work * Carpenter, a skilled craftsman who works with wood * General contractor, that specializes in building work ** Subcontractor * Builder (detergent), a component of moder ...

and a member of the

Queensland Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly ...

Early years

Midson was born in London, England, to parents James Midson and his wife Elizabeth Catherine (née Donnelly). After beginning his working career as an apprentice

with his father in England he arrived in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

in 1853 where he worked the goldfields in

Indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...

Ovens upA double oven A ceramic oven An oven is a tool which is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way. In use since antiquity, they have been us ...

and

Snowy River The Snowy River is a major river in south-eastern Australia. It originates on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mainland peak, draining the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, before flowing through the ...

. He returned to England in 1855 but was back in Australia the following year working as a builder in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

before travelling to

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

in 1860 where he won large government and commercial building contracts including the

Port Office Hotel Port Office Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 40 Edward Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by James Cowlishaw and built from 1876 by Charles Midson. It was also known as Shamrock Hotel. It was ...

, Hunter's Boot Factory, White's Hotel, and the Courier Building. Midson later became a director of the Imperial Deposit Bank and Watertown Brick Company and at the time of his death owned the Woolloongabba Glassworks.

Political career

Midson was a member of the

Legislative Assembly of Queensland The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembl ...

, holding the seat of

South Brisbane South Brisbane is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , South Brisbane had a population of 7,196 people. Geography The suburb is on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, bounded to the north-west, ...

from 1893 until his defeat at the 1896 election. He had also served as an alderman on the

South Brisbane Municipal Council The City of South Brisbane was a local government area on the southern side of the Brisbane River, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1888 and existed until 1925 when it was amalgamated into the City of Brisbane. History When the T ...

Personal life

In 1864 Midson married Mary Hurley Moran (died 1910)Family history research
— Queensland Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 24 May 2015. and together had four sons and three daughters. Midson died of

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rup ...

in April 1903 and as per his request a private funeral was held, moving from his former residence in Grey Street,

, to the

South Brisbane Cemetery South Brisbane Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at 21 Fairfield Road and Annerley Road, Dutton Park, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, adjacent to the Brisbane River. It was built from 1870 to 1990s. It is also known as Dutton Par ...

.Midson Charles W
— Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search. Retrieved 24 May 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Midson, Charles Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 1837 births 1903 deaths Burials in South Brisbane Cemetery 19th-century Australian politicians