James Taylor (1820 – 19 October 1895) was a member of the

Queensland Legislative Council The Queensland Legislative Council was the upper house of the parliament in the Australian state of Queensland. It was a fully nominated body which first took office on 1 May 1860. It was abolished by the Constitution Amendment Act 1921, which to ...

and 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 and pastoral career

Taylor was born in London, England in 1820 to John William Taylor, merchant, and his wife Ann (née Fielder).Taylor, James (1820–1895)
—

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 ...

. Retrieved 9 March 2015. He probably arrived in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

on board the ''James Pattison'' and spent the next few years gaining

pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...

experience before heading to 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 generall ...

with sheep in 1848. He found work in Cecil Plains, becoming

Henry Stuart Russell Henry Stuart Russell (16 March 1818 – 5 March 1889) was an English-born explorer, politician, historian and pastoralist, best known for establishing the Cecil Plains Station around the Condamine River area of Australia. Early life Russell wa ...

's head stockman before becoming a partner 1856 and sole owner in 1859. Using the property as a fattening and disposal centre for western sheep, he began to prosper and by 1880 the 147,310 acre freehold property held almost 100,000 sheep and was supplemented by Dunmore, Goodar and Coomrith stations on the Western Downs and Mount Marlow on the

Barcoo River The Barcoo River in western Queensland, Australia rises on the northern slopes of the Warrego Range, flows in a south-westerly direction and unites with the Thomson River to form Cooper Creek. The first European to see the river was Thomas M ...

Political career

Taylor was elected to the first

Queensland Parliament The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. As provided under the Constitution of Queensland, the Parliament consists of the Monarch of Australia and the Legislative Assembly. It has been the only unicameral s ...

in 1860, winning the seat of Western Downs. Appointed Secretary for Public Lands in 1869, he administered his office with little regard for the good of the public. He withheld large areas of Cecil Plains from

selection Selection may refer to: Science * Selection (biology), also called natural selection, selection in evolution ** Sex selection, in genetics ** Mate selection, in mating ** Sexual selection in humans, in human sexuality ** Human mating strategie ...

until 1870 when he suddenly sold them to himself. These actions were one of the reasons for his resignation as Secretary in May 1870, and in September of that same year he resigned as member for Western Downs to stand for the seat of Drayton and Toowoomba but was unsuccessful. He was not long out of politics long before he was appointed a member of the Queensland Legislative Council in November 1871 where he proved to be one of the most vigorous and obstructive of the squatting rearguard. He resigned after almost 10 years service in January 1881 to once again stand for the seat of Drayton and Toowoomba but was once again unsuccessful. He was reappointed to the Queensland Legislative Council in July 1881 and served until his retirement due to ill health in August 1893. He also served on the

Toowoomba Town Council The City of Toowoomba was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, encompassing the centre and inner suburbs of the regional city of Toowoomba. The City covered an area of , and existed as a local governm ...

, being

Mayor of Toowoomba This is a list of mayors of the City of Toowoomba and the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In March 2008 the City of Toowoomba was amalgamated with the Shires of Crows Nest, Rosalie, Jondaryan, Cambooya, Clifton, Millmerran, and ...

in 1890.

Business life

Taylor was a

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

of several companies including the Queensland Mercantile and Agency Co, the Land Bank of Queensland, and the Queensland Brewing Co. He was also a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

for the

Queensland Turf Club The Queensland Turf Club (QTC) was founded in August 1863. It began on a piece of land in Ascot, Queensland, later called Eagle Farm Racecourse, given to the club by government grant. The first meeting of the club was held on 14 August 1865. So ...

, the Toowoomba School of Arts, the Royal Agricultural Society, and the

Queensland Club Queensland Club is a heritage-listed club house at 19 George Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built from 1882 to 1888 by J Smith & Sons. It was added to t ...

Personal life

In April 1850, Taylor married Sarah Boulton in Drayton and together they had nine children. Known as the ''King of Toowoomba'' he died at his home, Clifford House in

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 C ...

in 1895 and was buried in

Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at the corner of South Street and Anzac Avenue, Harristown, Queensland, Australia. It was surveyed in May 1850, and is one of the earliest surviving cemeteries in Queensland. The cem ...

.Taylor James
—

Toowoomba Regional Council The Toowoomba Region is a local government area located in the Darling Downs part of Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by several previous local government areas with histories extending back to the early 1900s and beyo ...

Grave Location Search. Retrieved 9 March 2015.

Legacy

His home, Clifford House, was listed on the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As a ...

in 1992.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, James Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Members of the Queensland Legislative Council 1820 births 1895 deaths Politicians from London English emigrants to Australia Burials in Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery 19th-century Australian politicians