John Petrie (15 January 1822 – 8 December 1892) was a Scottish-born politician, architect, stonemason and building contractor in

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 ...

who became the city's first

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Private life

John Petrie was born 15 January 1822Toowong Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions – Queensland Family History Society Inc. in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, the eldest son of

Andrew Petrie Andrew Petrie (1798 - 20 February 1872) was a pioneer, architect and builder in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Early life Andrew Petrie was born in Fife, Scotland. He trained as a builder in Edinburgh. He married Mary Cuthbertson in 1821. ...

and Mary Cuthbertson.Queensland Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages He 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 ...

with his family in 1831 and was educated at

John Dunmore Lang John Dunmore Lang (25 August 1799 – 8 August 1878) was a Scottish-born Australian Presbyterian minister, writer, historian, politician and activist. He was the first prominent advocate of an independent Australian nation and of Australian re ...

's school. In 1837 he went to

Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...

, where his father had been appointed clerk of works, and accompanied him on explorations to the west and north of

; he also became a champion

oarsman Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

. Aware that his son might be unduly influenced by the incarcerated men at the penal colony, his father only selected workmen that he considered beyond reproach to come to his home in the evening to teach his sons cabinet making and carpentry skills. On 5 September 1850 in Brisbane, Petrie married Jane Keith McNaught, daughter of Daniel McNaught and Margaret Edgar of Dunbarton,

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 ...

. Daniel McNaught was a foreman of the Petrie business and contracting business after migrating to Brisbane. The couple had five sons and five daughters: * Margaret Jane Petrie, born in Brisbane August 1851, died at Mackay Sunday 15 February 1925 * Amelia Mary Petrie, born in Brisbane on 5 November 1852 * Andrew Lang Petrie, born in Brisbane on 25 June 1854, was the eldest son and heir to the family business; he represented Toombul 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 ...

in 1893 and, apart from his insolvency in 1894, held the seat until 1926 * Walter Daniel Petrie, born in Brisbane on 5 January 1856, died in Brisbane on 5 November 1857 * John Petrie, born in Brisbane on 19 August 1857, died in Brisbane on 20 March 1887 * Isabella Petrie, born in Brisbane on 9 June 1859 * James Petrie, born in Brisbane on 20 January 1861 * Annie Petrie, born in Brisbane on 2 August 1863, died in Brisbane on 27 December 1863 * Agnes Petrie, born in Brisbane on 26 February 1865 * George Petrie, born in Brisbane on 20 March 1867 His wife Jane died in Brisbane on 16 December 1896 and is buried in the Petrie family plot 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 ...

. John Petrie died on 8 December 1892 in Brisbane and is buried with his wife and family in

Business life

Following an 'apprenticeship' in the family building and contracting business, John assumed increasing responsibility for its management after his father's blindness in 1848 forced him to retire. John became sole proprietor and the firm was changed from Petrie & Son to John Petrie. The enviable repute for fine workmanship under his father was sustained by John. His skill can still be seen in many buildings in Brisbane, but he lacked his father's drive and business acumen. In 1882 Petrie's son,

Andrew Lang Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University ...

, became manager of the reconstructed firm,

John Petrie & Son John Petrie (15 January 1822 – 8 December 1892) was a Scottish-born politician, architect, stonemason and building contractor in Brisbane who became the city's first Mayor. Private life John Petrie was born 15 January 1822Toowong Cemetery ...

Public life

Although Petrie seems to have had little interest in politics, he was public-spirited and held many important offices. He topped the poll in Brisbane's first municipal election in 1859 and was mayor three times by 1862. He twice resigned from the council in protest against what he deemed the high-handedness of the majority faction, but continued after re-election to serve as an alderman until 1867. As Mayor he had welcomed the first

Governor of Queensland The governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the monarch of Australia. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governor Governors of the Australian states, performs c ...

, Sir George Bowen, to Brisbane in 1859. Practical experience and common sense fitted Petrie for laying the sound foundations of municipal administration in Brisbane and for guiding the council in providing public works and services. Closely associated with the

Enoggera Dam The Enoggera Dam is a heritage-listed dam, which is located within the outer, western suburb of Enoggera Reservoir, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. History The Enoggera Dam was constructed in 1866, on the upper reach of Breakfast Creek (wh ...

while it was planned by the council, he later saw it constructed as a member of the Board of Water Works; as its chairman in 1875 he was a leader in implementing the

Gold Creek Dam The Gold Creek Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam with an un-gated spillway across the Gold Creek that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for potable water supply of the Brisbane region ...

and planning of the

Mount Crosby Weir The Mount Crosby Weir is a heritage-listed weir on the Brisbane River at Mount Crosby and Chuwar, both in City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The project was instigated by John Petrie at the end of the 19th century. The town of Brisbane wa ...

. After serving as mayor, he had difficulty in 'playing second fiddle' and was prone to indulge in such manoeuvres as walking out of council meetings. Petrie devoted much time to community welfare. For years he served on the management committee of the Brisbane Hospital and was chairman after 1885. He was also a member of the Board for Administering Outdoor Relief and the Central Board of Health. Appointed to the

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 ...

Commission of the Peace in 1859, he remained a member of the Brisbane bench until 1892. He gave long service on the Brisbane Licensing Board and was often returning officer for the parliamentary elections. A trustee of the Brisbane general cemetery and of Bowen Park and a ranger for protecting native birds on the Enoggera Water Reserve, he was a director of several building societies and of the Queensland Steam Navigation Co. Elected to the North Brisbane School of Arts Committee in 1864 and 1866, he was also an enthusiastic member of the first Masonic lodge in Queensland. A staunch

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, he was an elder and worked with enthusiasm in building St Pauls Presbyterian Church, Spring Hill. Integrity and long association with the city made him one of the best known citizens of Brisbane. He died in December 1892.

Honours

John Petrie was inducted into the

Queensland University of Technology Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public research university located in the urban coastal city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. QUT is located on two campuses in the Brisbane area viz. Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove. The univ ...

's Construction Hall of Fame on 2 November 2010.

References

Petrie, John
— Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search {{DEFAULTSORT:Petrie, John Mayors and Lord Mayors of Brisbane Politicians from Edinburgh Australian Presbyterians 1822 births 1892 deaths Burials at Toowong Cemetery History of Brisbane 19th-century Australian politicians Pre-Separation Queensland

Private life

Business life

Public life

Honours

See also

References