Thomas de Lacy Moffatt (17 April 1824 – 2 October 1864),Hon. Thomas de Lacy MOFFATT
— Clan Moffat Genealogy. Retrieved 4 January 2015. was a politician in colonial

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 ...

, and a

Treasurer of Queensland The Treasurer of Queensland is the title held by the Cabinet minister who is responsible for the Queensland Treasury, and by extension, all financial matters of the Queensland Government. List of Queensland treasurers See also *Politics of ...

. His surname is also sometimes spelled "Moffat".

Early life

Moffatt was born in 1824 in Athlone, County Westmeath,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, the son of James Moffatt, the

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of Athlone, and his wife Elizabeth ''née'' Kellett. He set out for Australia in 1844 and worked with his uncle, Captain R. G. Moffatt, a former magistrate and commander of the military police in Port Stephens who by that time had turned his attention to agriculture and sheep farming. He later moved north and became a squatter, establishing a station called "Callandoon" on the

Darling Downs The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland. The name was general ...

. He sold the station in 1849 and moved to the town of Drayton. In 1852, the pastoral run ''Woondul'' was transferred from Moffat to Russell H. Stuart.

Political career

Moffatt was elected to the first

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 ...

on 27 April 1860 for the district of Western Downs. Moffatt became Colonial Treasurer in the first

Robert Herbert Sir Robert George Wyndham Herbert, (12 June 1831 – 6 May 1905), was the first Premier of Queensland, Australia. At 28 years and 181 days of age, he was the youngest person ever to be elected premier of an Australian state. Early years Born ...

Ministry on 4 August 1862, and retained this post till his death on 2 October 1864.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moffatt, Thomas de Lacy 1826 births 1864 deaths Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Treasurers of Queensland People from County Westmeath Irish emigrants to Australia 19th-century Australian politicians