Alexander Fyfe
Alexander Fyfe | |
---|---|
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Geelong | |
In office June 1854 – March 1856 | |
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Geelong | |
In office November 1856 – November 1857 | |
Preceded by | New seat |
Succeeded by | George Board |
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Rockhampton | |
In office 20 June 1870 – 24 November 1873 | |
Preceded by | Henry Milford |
Succeeded by | Charles Buzacott |
Personal details | |
Born | Alexander Fyfe 1826 Scotland |
Died | 1903 (aged 75–76) Preston, Victoria, Australia |
Resting place | Coburg Cemetery |
Nationality | Scottish |
Occupation | Pastoralist, Ironmonger's assistant |
Alexander Fyfe (1826 – 2 May 1903) was a Scottish-born settler of Victoria, Australia, who became a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Victorian Legislative Council and the Queensland Legislative Assembly.[1]
Early life[]
Fyfe was born in Scotland, the son of Jane Nicholson Bailliff. Fyfe emigrated to Australia, arriving in Melbourne in January 1848 aboard the Stag[2] and settled in Geelong.[1]
In Geelong, he was involved in the establishment of the:[3]
- first building society
- the first
- the Geelong Chamber of Commerce
- the fire brigade
- a newspaper
- the Mechanic's Institute
- the first regatta (he owned four full-rigged vessels and chartered eleven more)
He was president of the:
- Mechanic's Institute
- the first cricket club in Victoria
- Geelong Agricultural Society
and a director/trustee of:
- the Geelong Botanic Gardens
- the Flinders State School
- the Geelong-Melbourne railway
and captain of the first volunteer regiment.[3]
Alexander Fyfe was one of the first gold diggers at Ballarat. He was secretary of the Anti-Gold License Committee[4] and contributed to legal expenses of the trial of Peter Lalor, the leader of the Eureka Rebellion[3]
Politics[]
Fyfe was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for Geelong in June 1854,[5] a position he held until the original Council was abolished in 1856.[1]
Fyfe was elected to the inaugural Victorian Legislative Assembly as one of the four members for Geelong in November 1856, a seat he held until resigning in November 1857 due to insolvency.[1]
Fyfe moved to Queensland where he purchased a pastoral property from P. F. MacDonald near Peak Downs[3] and became a pastoralist and auctioneer. He represented Rockhampton in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 20 June 1870 to 24 November 1873.[2]
Latter life[]
Fyfe returned to Melbourne around 1873 and died in Preston, Victoria on 2 May 1903.[1]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e "Fyfe, Alexander". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012.
- ^ a b Fyfe, Alexander; Government of Queensland. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d "DEATH OF MR. A. FYFE". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, Qld. 12 May 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "ANTI-GOLD LICENSE COMMITTEE". Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer (DAILY ed.). Vic. 14 September 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Election. Declaration of the Poll". Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer. 26 June 1854. p. 4. Retrieved 24 August 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
- 1827 births
- 1903 deaths
- History of Victoria (Australia)
- Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
- Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
- Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia
- Australian auctioneers
- 19th-century Australian politicians
- 19th-century Australian businesspeople