Maurice Hume Black (15 December 1835 – 16 August 1899) was an Australian 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 h ...

. Black was a grand-nephew of the celebrated

Joseph Hume Joseph Hume FRS (22 January 1777 – 20 February 1855) was a Scottish surgeon and Radical MP.Ronald K. Huch, Paul R. Ziegler 1985 Joseph Hume, the People's M.P.: DIANE Publishing. Early life He was born the son of a shipmaster James Hume ...

, Member for Montrose in the British House of Commons. He was born in London, England and in 1861 married Maria Frederica Davies, a niece of the great statesman, George Canning. Having emigrated to

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 ...

in 1852, Black left the goldfields of that colony to try his luck in pastoral pursuits in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, subsequently going to the Riverina, and in 1864 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 , establishe ...

. Black was the inventor of a steam sheep-washing process, and went into sugar planting in the

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airpor ...

district of Queensland in 1871. StateLibQld 1 243182 Storm - Black v Campbell - A mash

In 1881 Black was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the seat of

. Having taken a prominent part in the agitation for the separation of Northern Queensland from the rest of the colony, and its formation into a distinct colony, he was in 1887 commissioned to go to England with Mr. Lissner to press the matter upon the attention of the Home Government,

Harold Finch-Hatton Harold Heneage Finch-Hatton (23 August 1856 – 16 May 1904) was a British politician and Australian federationist. Early life Finch-Hatton was born in Eastwell Park, Kent, England, the fourth son of George Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilse ...

and Dr. Ahearne having done much to bring the matter into the region of practical politics by their exertions during the previous year. Though not successful in inducing Lord Knutsford to take steps for the separation of Northern Queensland, the advanced phase which the question has since assumed is a good deal due to the efforts of the delegation of 1887. In June 1888, on the formation of the second

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 ...

Administration, Black became Secretary of Public Works, and continued to hold the post when five months later the Ministry was reconstructed under

Boyd Dunlop Morehead Boyd Dunlop Morehead (24 August 1843 – 30 October 1905) was a politician in Queensland, Australia. He was Premier of Queensland from November 1888 to June 1890. Early life Boyd Morehead was born in Sydney, New South Wales, the second son ...

. Black resigned with his colleagues in August 1890. Black left Parliament in April 1893 and worked as an immigration agent in the agent-general's office in London; this post was abolished in 1894. Then Black decided to try his luck on the

Coolgardie, Western Australia Coolgardie is a small town in Western Australia, east of the state capital, Perth. It has a population of approximately 850 people. Although Coolgardie is now known to most Western Australians as a tourist town and a mining ghost town, it ...

goldfields with some of his family; he arrived in 1896 and set up as an attorney for mining companies. Black died in Coolgardie on 16 August 1899 of

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue rep ...

of the liver and cardiac failure and was buried in the Coolgardie Cemetery.Coolgardie Cemetery A-E
– Outback family history. Retrieved 8 February 2015. His wife returned to Queensland and died on 18 February 1906 at her home Roseville, Regent Street,

South Brisbane South Brisbane is an inner southern Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , South Brisbane had a population of 7,196 people. Geography The suburb is on the southern bank of the Brisba ...

and was buried in the

South Brisbane Cemetery South Brisbane Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at 21 Fairfield Road and Annerley Road, Dutton Park, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, adjacent to the Brisbane River. It was built from 1870 to 1990s. It is also known as Dutton Park ...

on 19 February 1906.

Legacy

Blacks Beach, one of the northern beach suburbs of Mackay in Queensland, is named after him. Black had originally lived on his sugar plantation (The Cedars) but later moved to the coast.

Works

References

External links

A Few Facts About Polynesian Labour In Queensland (1894)
by M. Hume Black {{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Maurice Hume 1835 births 1899 deaths Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly British emigrants to the Colony of Victoria Deaths from cirrhosis Colony of Queensland people Politicians from London