Sir James MacBain (19 April 1828 – 4 November 1892) was a politician in colonial

Victoria (Australia) Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in ...

, President of the Victorian Legislative Council. MacBain was the youngest son of Smith MacBain, of Invergordon,

Ross-shire Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting of ...

, Scotland, and was born at Kinrhive in that county in 1828. He served a business apprenticeship in Inverness. In 1853 he married Jessie Smith, youngest daughter of William Smith, of Forres, and sister of the late Duncan Smith, manager of the Oriental Bank Corporation at Bombay. Immediately afterwards MacBain came to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

, where he entered the service of the Bank of New South Wales. He quit shortly after and became partner in Melbourne of the mercantile and squatting agency firm of Gibbs, Ronald & Co. In 1863 he became a partner in the Geelong and London business of that firm, and of Richard Gibbs & Co., of London. In 1865 Geelong and London was sold to the Australian Mortgage, Land and Finance Company, Limited, of the Australian Board of which Sir James was chairman. Sir James was a member of the Council, and a trustee of both the Ormond College, affiliated to Melbourne University, and of the Working Men's College, Melbourne. He was also a trustee of the Scotch College and the Ladies' Presbyterian College, and of the Public Library and National Gallery in that city. Sir James represented the Wimmera district in 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 presidin ...

from 1864 to 1880, and in 1880 was elected to the

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

for the Central province. He was a member of the

Bryan O'Loghlen Sir Bryan O'Loghlen, 3rd Baronet (pronounced and sometimes spelt Brian O'Lochlen) (27 June 1828 – 31 October 1905), Australian colonial politician, was the 13th Premier of Victoria. Biography O'Loghlen was born in County Clare, Ireland, a y ...

Government without portfolio from August 1881 to March 1883, in which year he visited Europe and acted as chairman of the Victorian Commission at the Amsterdam Exhibition. In the next year MacBain was elected for the South Yarra Province, and succeeded Sir William Henry Fancourt Mitchell as President of the Victorian Legislative Council, from 27 November 1884 to 8 November 1892. He was knighted in May 1886, and having in the meantime acted as president or the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition, was created K.C.M.G. in 1889. MacBain died in

Toorak Toorak may refer to: * Toorak, Victoria, an inner south-eastern suburb of Melbourne *Toorak College, Mount Eliza, approximately 40 km south of Melbourne * Toorak Gardens, South Australia, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide initially named Toorak * ...

, Melbourne on 4 November 1892.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacBain, James 1828 births 1892 deaths Australian Knights Bachelor Australian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Presidents of the Victorian Legislative Council Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Scottish emigrants to Australia 19th-century Australian politicians