Edward Wilmot Pechey (9 November 1841 – 28 April 1904) was a

Member of the Legislative Assembly A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia.

Early life

Edward Pechey was born on 9 November 1841 in Langham near

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...

, Essex, England, the son of William Pechey and his wife Sarah (née Rotton). He immigrated to Sydney in 1858 and relocated to Queensland about 1869. He married Helen Maria Bond in

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 C ...

on 19 September 1872.

Business life

As assistant surveyor to the Queensland Government Surveyor,

Henry Haig Henry Haig (9 February 19306 December 2007) was an English abstract artist, painter and sculptor but notable predominantly for his stained glass work. Early life and education Born in Hampstead in 1930, Haig's talent was recognised and encour ...

, he surveyed Condamine and Campbell's Camp. He was involved with the sawmills at Highfields and Crows Nest. He also speculated in real estate in the

area.

Politics

On 11 November 1873 in the 1873 colonial elections, Pechey was elected to

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 ...

in the seat of Aubigny. He resigned on 9 April 1877 and

Patrick Perkins Hon. Patrick Perkins, J. P., (10 October 1838 — 17 May 1901), nicknamed Paddy Perkins, was a brewer and politician in colonial Queensland. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly and, later, a Member of the Queensland Legislati ...

won the resulting by-election on 1 May 1877.

Later years

In his later years, he led a quiet life. He was a great reader and studied eastern philosophies. He was also a prominent member of the

Queensland Theosophical Society ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. He died in Toowoomba on 28 April 1904; he was survived by his widow and four children. He was buried in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

section of the

Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at the corner of South Street and Anzac Avenue, Harristown, Queensland, Australia. It was surveyed in May 1850, and is one of the earliest surviving cemeteries in Queensland. The cem ...

Legacy

The locality of Pechey and the mountain peak Pechey Knob are named after him.

References