Sir James Milne Wilson, (29 February 1812 – 29 February 1880) served as

Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly is invited by the governor of Ta ...

from 1869 to 1872.

Biography

Wilson was born in 1812 in Banff, Scotland; the third son of John Wilson, a shipowner, and his wife, Barbara Gray; maternal grandson of Alexander Gray and wife, Jean Bean (See Pedigree of Bean of Portsoy). Educated at Banff and

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 ...

, he emigrated to Tasmania in 1829, studied practical engineering and afterwards became a ship's officer. He was connected with the

Cascade Brewery Cascade Brewery is a brewery established in 1824 in South Hobart, Tasmania and is the oldest continually operating brewery in Australia. As well as beer, the site also produces a range of non-alcoholic products. It is home to a function cen ...

for 14 years and became its manager. He entered politics in October 1859 as member for Hobart in the legislative council, and in January 1863 joined the Whyte cabinet as minister without portfolio. In 1868, at the time of the visit of the

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...

, Wilson was Mayor of Hobart and on 4 August 1869 became Premier and colonial secretary in a ministry which lasted until November 1872.

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...

, who came to Australia in 1871, formed a high opinion of Wilson: "I thought I had not met a sounder politician in Australia... Victoria is desirous of annexing Tasmania. Perhaps when she has done so, Mr Wilson will become premier for the joint colonies, and then great things may be expected." In 1872, Wilson was elected

President of the Tasmanian Legislative Council The President of the Tasmanian Legislative Council is the presiding officer of the Council. Presidents of the Legislative Council External links Presidents of the Legislative Council(Parliament of Tasmania) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tasmania Lists of ...

, and held this position until his death on 29 February 1880, on his "seventeenth" birthday aged 68. In 1847, he married Deborah Hope, daughter of Peter Degraves. Lady Wilson survived him with children. He was knighted in 1873 and created

K.C.M.G. The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honou ...

in 1878. He was a man of unbounded popularity, well known for his charities. He was president of the Southern Tasmanian Agricultural Society and chairman of committees and president of the Tasmanian Jockey Club. As a politician Wilson showed wisdom in his advocacy of free-trade between the Australian colonies. Tasmania passed an intercolonial free trade act in 1870 during his premiership, but the question made no headway on the mainland. In an extremely rare coincidence, he was born on

29 February February 29, also known as leap day or leap year day, is a date added to leap years. A leap day is added in various solar calendars (calendars based on the Earth's revolution around the Sun), including the Gregorian calendar standard in mo ...

(making him a

leapling A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or wikt:bissextile, bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astron ...

) and died on the same date at the age of 68.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, James Milne 1812 births 1880 deaths Premiers of Tasmania People from Banff, Aberdeenshire Australian people of Scottish descent Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Presidents of the Tasmanian Legislative Council Mayors and Lord Mayors of Hobart Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian politicians