Sir Robert Ramsay Mackenzie, 10th Baronet (21 July 1811 – 19 September 1873) was a pastoralist and politician in
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_ ...
, Australia. He was
Premier of Queensland, Australia from August 1867 to November 1868.
Early life
Mackenzie was born in Coul,
Ross-shire
Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting of ...
, Scotland, fourth son of
Sir George Steuart Mackenzie, and wife Mary, fifth daughter of Donald Macleod of Geanies, Ross-shire.
New South Wales
In April 1832 Mackenzie arrived on the ''Wave'' in Sydney,
New South Wales
)
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, 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 ...
, with £750 joining his brother James. He purchased sheep for £500 and grazed them at Riddlesdale (near
Dungog, New South Wales). After land speculation with his brother James, Robert Mackenzie bought a station, got into debt and borrowed money from his Scottish relatives. His financial situation worsened and he was declared bankrupt in 1844. In 1846 he was discharged from bankruptcy and was appointed a magistrate in 1847, living in Clifton,
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
.
Political career
Queensland was
declared a separate colony in 1859, Mackenzie entered politics and became
Colonial Treasurer on 15 December 1859 in the ministry of
Robert Herbert. Mackenzie represented
Burnett in the
Legislative Assembly of Queensland
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 Assembl ...
1860–1869. Mackenzie formed a government on the resignation of
Arthur Macalister, taking on the roles of both Premier and Colonial Treasurer. He resigned on 25 November 1868.
Personal life
Robert Mackenzie married Louise Alexandrina Jones, daughter of
Richard Jones, a member of the
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in th ...
, Sydney, in 1846. One of their daughters, Mary Louisa, married
Alexander Archer, a brother of
Archibald Archer
Archibald Archer M.L.A., J.P., (18 March 1820 – 6 February 1902)
was a Queensland politician, a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, and Treasurer of Queensland. He was one of the Archer brothers, an early Queensland pioneering ...
. Both Mary and Alexander died in the 1890 sinking of the
RMS ''Quetta''.
Robert Mackenzie succeeded his brother William on his death on 21 December 1868 to the
baronetcy and returned to live on the family estate in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
in 1871. Sir Robert died at 6 Atherstone Terrace, Queen’s Gate Gardens, London on the 19th September, 1873.
See also
*
Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1860–1863
This is a list of members of the 1st Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1860 to 1863, as elected at the inaugural 1860 colonial elections held between 27 April 1860 to 11 May 1860 (due to problems of distance and communications, it was not ...
;
1863–1867;
1867–1868;
1868–1870
References
*R. B. Joyce,
Mackenzie, Sir Robert Ramsay (1811 - 1873),
Australian Dictionary of Biography
The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...
, Volume 5,
MUP, 1974, pp 171–172.
*
Additional resources listed by the Australian Dictionary of Biography
*C. A. Bernays, ''Queensland Politics During Sixty Years (Brisb, 1919)''
*J. F. Campbell, ‘Discovery and early pastoral settlement of New England’, ''JRAHS'', 8 (1922)
*''
Brisbane Courier
''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...
'', 28 July 1862
*''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' (London), 24 September 1873, p 5
*P. D. Wilson, The Political Career of Hon. A. Macalister (B.A. Hons thesis, University of Queensland, 1969)
*Bankruptcy papers, 1250 (State Records New South Wales)
*Land and Colonial Secretary's files (Queensland State Archives).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackenzie, Robert
1811 births
1873 deaths
Premiers of Queensland
Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia
Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia
Younger sons of baronets
Treasurers of Queensland
19th-century Australian politicians
Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly