Arthur Hunter Palmer

The Honourable Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer KCMG
5th Premier of Queensland
In office 3 May 1870 – 7 January 1874
Preceded by	Charles Lilley
Succeeded by	Arthur Macalister
Constituency	Port Curtis
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Port Curtis
In office 19 March 1866 – 14 November 1878
Preceded by	John Douglas
Succeeded by	Albert Norton
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for North Brisbane
In office 15 November 1878 – 24 December 1881 Serving with Samuel Griffith
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	William Brookes
Member of the Queensland Legislative Council
In office 24 December 1881 – 20 March 1898
Personal details
Born	28 December 1819 Armagh, Co. Armagh, Ireland, UK
Died	20 March 1898 (aged 78) Toowong, Brisbane, Queensland
Resting place	Toowong Cemetery
Spouse(s)	Cecilia Jessie Mosman (d. 1885)
Relations	Hugh Mosman (brother-in-law), Henry Palmer (brother)
Religion	Church of England

Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer KCMG (28 December 1819 – 20 March 1898) was an Irish-Australian politician and a Premier of Queensland.

Early life

Palmer was born in Armagh, Ireland, the son of Lieutenant Arthur Palmer, R.N., and his wife, Emily née Hunter.^[1] Palmer was educated at Youghal^[2] Grammar School and a private tutor in Dublin.^[1] Palmer emigrated to New South Wales in 1838, arriving in Sydney on the City of Edinburgh. Palmer worked for many years for Henry Cary Dangar on his New England stations, eventually becoming general manager of all Dangar's holdings.^[1] Palmer went to Queensland and took up land, acting as a magistrate in 1865.^[1]

Politics

In 1866, Palmer was elected to Parliament as member for Port Curtis^[3] in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.^[1] On 2 August 1867 he became colonial secretary and secretary for public works in the R. R. Mackenzie ministry, and in September 1868 secretary for public lands. Mackenzie resigned on 25 November 1868 and Palmer went into opposition. On 3 May 1870 Palmer became premier and colonial secretary,^[3] and in July 1873 secretary for public works. Palmer's ministry was defeated on 6 January 1874.^[1] During his term of office acts were passed which led to much development on account of new railways. Palmer was colonial secretary and secretary for public instruction in the McIlwraith ministry which came into power in January 1879, but resigned these positions on 24 December 1881 to become president of the Queensland Legislative Council. Palmer remained in that position until his death. He became Lieutenant Governor of Queensland in 1893.^[2]

Later life

On several occasions Palmer was administrator of the government between 1881 and 1898. He died at Easton Gray, his home in Toowong, Queensland after a long illness^[4] and was buried in Toowong Cemetery.^[5]

Family

Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer's headstone at Brisbane's Toowong Cemetery

In 1865, Palmer married Miss Cecilia Jessie Mosman. Cecilia was the sister of Hugh Mosman who discovered gold in Charters Towers and of Harriette Mosman, the second wife of Queensland Premier Thomas McIlwraith.^[6] Cecilia died in 1885, and was survived by three sons and two daughters.^[7]

Honours

Palmer was created a K.C.M.G. in 1881.^[3]

See also

• Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1863–1867; 1867–1868; 1868–1870; 1870–1871; 1871–1873; 1873–1878; 1878–1883
• Members of the Queensland Legislative Council, 1880–1889; 1890–1899

References

1. Jobson, J. X. "Palmer, Sir Arthur Hunter (1819–1898)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
2. "Arthur Hunter Palmer". Dictionary of Ulster Biography. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
3. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
4. "DEATH OF SIR ARTHUR PALUER.". The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933). Qld.: National Library of Australia. 21 March 1898. p. 5. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
5. Palmer Sir Arthur Hunter Archived 5 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. — Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
6. "Death ot Hon. Hugh Mosman.". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 16 November 1909. p. 4. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
7. "The Brisbane Courier.". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 1 September 1885. p. 4. Retrieved 23 January 2015.

Sources

• Serle, Percival (1949). "Palmer, Arthur Hunter". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
•  Carlyle, Edward Irving (1901). "Palmer, Arthur Hunter". In Sidney Lee. Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement​. London: Smith, Elder & Co.