Charles Meredith (29 May 1811 – 2 March 1880) was an Australian grazier and politician. He served as

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n Colonial Treasurer for several years in the mid-to-late 19th century.

Early life

Meredith was born on 29 May 1811 at Poyston Lodge, Pembroke, Wales, the youngest son of

George Meredith George Meredith (12 February 1828 – 18 May 1909) was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but he gradually established a reputation as a novelist. '' The Ord ...

and his wife, Sarah Westall Hicks. He was descended in a direct line from the last kings of Wales. His father saw service in the royal marines during the Napoleonic wars, and later decided to emigrate to

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sep ...

(later called

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

). He arrived at Hobart with his father, wife and family on 18 March 1821 and became one of the best known of the early pioneers. Charles assisted his father in farming in Tasmania for some time. In 1834, Meredith went to

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 ...

and took up land on the

Murrumbidgee River The Murrumbidgee River () is a major tributary of the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin and the second longest river in Australia. It flows through the Australian state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, desce ...

after being denied a grant of land by Lieutenant-Governor

George Arthur Sir George Arthur, 1st Baronet (21 June 1784 – 19 September 1854) was Lieutenant Governor of British Honduras from 1814 to 1822 and of Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania) from 1823 to 1836. The campaign against Aboriginal Tasmani ...

. He visited England in 1838 and married his cousin, Louisa Anne Twamley at Old Edgbaston Church, Birmingham on 18 April 1839. They sailed for Sydney in the Letitia and arrived in September. While Charles inspected sheep stations on the Murrumbidgee River, Louisa stayed at Bathurst. After a few weeks in Sydney, they moved to suburban

Homebush Homebush is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield. The name of ...

. Meredith then returned to Tasmania. In 1843, he was appointed a police magistrate at Port Sorell in the north-west.

Political career

Meredith became a member of the original

Tasmanian Legislative Council The Tasmanian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. It is one of the two chambers of the Parliament, the other being the House of Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in the state capital, ...

and was elected for Glamorgan in the first house of assembly in 1856. He was colonial treasurer in the

Thomas Gregson Thomas George Gregson (7 February 1796 – 4 January 1874) was the second Premier of Tasmania, serving from 26 February 1857 until 25 April 1857. Early life Gregson was born in Buckton, Northumberland, England, the son of John Gregson who was ...

ministry for two months in 1857, and held the same position in the

James Whyte James Whyte may refer to: *James Whyte (Australian politician) (1820–1882), Scottish-born Australian politician * James Whyte (bishop) (1868–1957), Roman Catholic bishop of Dunedin, 1920–1957 * James A. Whyte (1920–2005), Scottish theologian ...

ministry from January 1863 to November 1866. He was

opposition leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

1862–63 and November 1866–72. He held the lands and works portfolios in the

Frederick Innes Frederick Maitland Innes (11 August 1816 – 11 May 1882)C. M. Sullivan,, '' Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 4, MUP, 1972, pp 458–459. Retrieved 2009-08-15 was Premier of Tasmania from 4 November 1872 to 4 August 1873. The son ...

cabinet from November 1872 to August 1873, and was again colonial treasurer in the

Thomas Reibey Thomas Reibey (24 September 1821 – 10 February 1912) was an Australian politician and Premier of Tasmania from 20 July 1876 until 9 August 1877. Reiby was born in Hadspen, Van Diemen's Land, (now Tasmania) the son of Thomas Haydock Reibey and ...

ministry from July 1876 to August 1877. In total, he was in parliament almost 24 years and was a member of the executive council for 17 years.

Late life and legacy

Meredith resigned his seat on account of ill-health in 1879, and died at Launceston, Tasmania, on 2 March 1880. His wife and children survived him. Meredith was one of the few Tasmanians whose name has been publicly commemorated; a mountain range in north-east Tasmania is named for him and a fountain in his memory was erected in the Queen's domain, Hobart, in 1885.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Meredith, Charles 1811 births 1880 deaths Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly Members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council Leaders of the Opposition in Tasmania Treasurers of Tasmania Welsh emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian politicians