John Alexander Jackson (1809 – 25 May 1885) was a public servant, colonial agent in pre-Federation Australia and

Treasurer of South Australia The Treasurer of South Australia is the Cabinet minister in the Government of South Australia who is responsible for the financial management of that state's budget sector. The Urban Renewal Authority, trading as Renewal SA, lies within the T ...

. Jackson was the son of John Serocold Jackson, a major in the 72nd Regiment. The family migrated to Sydney,

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 ...

in July 1825. J.A. Jackson was employed as a draughtsman in the Surveyor-General's Department on a salary of £100. After apparently visiting England, he arrived in Launceston aboard the ''David Owen'' in June 1831. He owned two large farms, and in 1833, became the editor of

John Pascoe Fawkner John Pascoe Fawkner (20 October 1792 – 4 September 1869) was an early Australian pioneer, businessman and politician of Melbourne, Australia. In 1835 he financed a party of free settlers from Van Diemen's Land (now called Tasmania), to sail ...

's ''Launceston Advertiser''. Jackson was recommended by Sir

John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through ...

to the Government of South Australia, and was Treasurer in the early days of that colony and Colonial Secretary (succeeding Mr.

Robert Gouger Robert Gouger (; 26 June 1802 – 4 August 1846) was one of the founders of South Australia and the first Colonial Secretary of South Australia. Early life Gouger was the fifth son of nine children of George Gouger (1763–1802), who was a pr ...

) from October 1841 to June 1843, when he resigned owing to a difference with the Governor of the colony, Captain (later Sir)

George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Go ...

. Jackson was a nominated member of the

South Australian Legislative Council The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly. It sits in Parli ...

. Returning to Tasmania, he went to London as the official representative of the anti-transportation movement, and contributed towards the success of the agitation for granting responsible government to the Australian colonies by his letters to Earl Grey. It was due to an intimation received from Jackson whilst in London in 1849 that the people of

Port Phillip District The Port Phillip District was an administrative division of the Colony of New South Wales from 9 September 1836 until 1 July 1851, when it was separated from New South Wales and became the Colony of Victoria. In September 1836, NSW Colonial Sec ...

became aware of the intention of the imperial authorities to despatch a batch of convicts to their settlement. They were thus enabled to initiate the opposition which was successful in preventing Victoria becoming a convict colony. Later on Jackson resided in Melbourne as general manager of the English, Scottish, and Australian Chartered Bank, a post which he held till replaced by Mr. (later Sir) George Verdon in 1872. Mr. Jackson married a daughter of the late W. G. Walker, of Vron Estate,

Bishopsbourne, Tasmania Bishopsbourne (known informally as "The Bourne") is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Northern Midlands in the Central LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about south-west of the town of Longford. The 2016 census h ...

, and died at Ealing, near London, in May 1885.

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, John Alexander 1809 births 1885 deaths Treasurers of South Australia Australian newspaper editors Members of the South Australian Legislative Council 19th-century Australian journalists Male journalists 19th-century Australian male writers 19th-century Australian politicians