John Malbon Thompson (24 December 1830 – 30 May 1908) was an Australian lawyer and politician, member of the

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 ...

Early life

Thompson was the son of John Thompson, sometime Deputy Surveyor-General for

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 ...

, by his marriage with the daughter of

Charles Windeyer Charles Windeyer (1 July 1780 – 30 January 1855) was an Australian magistrate who held a variety of public positions and was later appointed by Governor George Gipps as the first Mayor of Sydney. He was the father of barrister and politician ...

. He was born in Sydney and educated at

William Timothy Cape William Timothy Cape (25 October 1806 – 4 June 1863) was an early school master in Sydney, Australia; several of the Premiers of New South Wales attended his school. Cape was born at Walworth, Surrey, England, the son of William Cape, a Lon ...

's Grammar School.

Career

Thompson was admitted an attorney and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1855, and removing to

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_ ...

, where he was admitted to the bar in June 1880, practised at

Ipswich, Queensland Ipswich () is a city in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated on the Bremer River, it is approximately west of the Brisbane central business district. The city is renowned for its architectural, natural and cultural heritage. Ipswich pre ...

, for which town he was returned to the Assembly in 1868. Whilst representing this constituency he was Chairman of Committees for two years, Secretary for Lands in the Arthur Palmer Ministry from May 1870 to July 1873, and Secretary for Public Works from the latter date till January 1874, when the Government retired. He was Minister of Justice and

in the first

Thomas McIlwraith Sir Thomas McIlwraith (17 May 1835 – 17 July 1900) was for many years the dominant figure of colonial politics in Queensland. He was Premier of Queensland from 1879 to 1883, again in 1888, and for a third time in 1893. In common with most po ...

ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

from January to May 1879. During his tenure of office as Minister of Lands he carried the Homestead Areas Bill, and did a good deal to stop the "dummying" of the State lands. Thompson wife's health worsened, he resigned from parliament on 27 August 1881 and resumed the practice of his profession as a solicitor in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. Thompson married Mary Harriett Montague Russell on 9 December 1896.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, John Malbon 1830 births 1908 deaths Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Attorneys-General of Queensland Colony of Queensland people 19th-century Australian politicians