William Rea (1816–1881) was a stock and station agent and a 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 a 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 ...

Early life

William Rea was born in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

in 1816. He came to Australia in about 1841 where he worked in stock and station agency business with firms which had branches in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , 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 ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Around the time of the

separation of Queensland The Separation of Queensland was an event in 1859 in which the land that forms the present-day State of Queensland in Australia was excised from the Colony of New South Wales and created as a separate Colony of Queensland. History European sett ...

(circa 1859), he moved to Rockhampton where he established his own stock and station agency business with Mr Rankin.

Politics

Rea was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly in the Electorate of Rockhampton on 15 November 1878. He held the seat until his death on 21 September 1881.

Later life

Rea died on 21 September 1881 in his temporary residence at Martin Street,

Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley (often called "The Valley" by local residents) is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. In the , Fortitude Valley had a population of 9,708 people. The suburb features two pedestri ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. He had been unwell for a few days beforehand and, having failed to attend Parliament, was found dead apparently from heart disease. At the time of his death, he was writing a letter in which he said he felt he was dying and fell to the floor with his pencil still in hand. He was buried on 22 September 1881 in

Toowong Cemetery Toowong Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery on the corner of Frederick Street and Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1866 and formally opened in 1875. It is Queensland's largest cemet ...

References

Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 1816 births 1881 deaths 19th-century Australian politicians Irish emigrants to colonial Australia {{Australia-politician-stub

Early life

Politics

Later life

See also

References