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 The President of the Victorian Legislative Council, also known as the presiding officer of the council, is the presiding officer of the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house of the Parliament of Victoria and equivalent to the President of ...

. MacBain was the youngest son of Smith MacBain, of

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, 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 The Oriental Bank Corporation (), or "OBC", was a British imperial bank founded in India in 1842 which grew to be prominent throughout the Far East. As an Exchange bank, the OBC was primarily concerned with the finance of trade and exchanges of ...

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 met ...

, where he entered the service of the

Bank of New South Wales The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known commonly as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia, being established in Sydney in 1817 and situated on Broadway, New South Wales, Broadway. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches ...

. 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 presiding ...

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 Co ...

for the Central province. He was a member of the Bryan O'Loghlen 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 South Yarra Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council from November 1882 until May 1904. South Yarra Province was created in the redistribution of provinces in 1882 when the Central and Eastern Provinces were abolished. ...

, and succeeded Sir

William Henry Fancourt Mitchell Sir William Henry Fancourt Mitchell (November 1811 – 24 November 1884) was an Australian police commissioner and politician, President of the Victorian Legislative Council for fourteen years. Life Mitchell was the son of the Rev. George Bark ...

, 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, 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