George Robertson Burns (1847 - 5 November 1893) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.

Biography

Burns was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, the son of Graham Burns and his wife Jessie (née McGregor) and was educated in Edinburgh public schools and the

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire council area and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With a population ...

Academy. By 1862 he was apprenticed as an engineer in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

before travelling to

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

and working as an engineer for Randolph, Elder & Company and McOnie's machinery. He then travelled to the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

before arriving in Queensland in 1875 and employed as an engineer at Hambledon's plantation in

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

. He then leased the Townsville Foundry and in 1888 purchased the new Ross Creek Works of the Townsville Foundry and Shipping Company. He was married to Grace Clow (died 1926)Family history research
— Queensland Government births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Retrieved 13 June 2016. and together had four children. Burns died at Keppel Bay aboard the ''SS Airlie'' in November 1893 and was buried in Townsville's West End Cemetery.BURNS George Robinson
— City of Townsville Retrieved 13 June 2016.

Public career

Burns won the junior position in the two-member seat of Townsville for the Ministerialists at the

1893 Queensland colonial election Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = ...

. He was on his way home to Townsville from

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 ...

when he died six months later.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burns, George Robertson Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 1845 births 1893 deaths 19th-century Australian politicians