Parliamentary activity
Information about members' parliamentary service including their positions held and biography.
Positions
| Position | Start | End | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seamen Committee No.14 | Tue 29 January 1861 | Sat 11 May 1861 | 3 months 14 days | |
| Departure of the Governor General Committee No.4 | Tue 15 January 1861 | Sat 11 May 1861 | 3 months 27 days | |
| Governor General’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 | Fri 11 January 1861 | Fri 11 January 1861 | 1 day | |
| Member for Camden | Fri 21 December 1860 | Wed 17 July 1861 | 6 months 27 days | |
| Wesley College Bill Committee No.21 | Wed 12 October 1859 | Wed 04 July 1860 | 8 months 23 days | |
| Petition of Mr William Sutherland Committee No.20 | Fri 07 October 1859 | Wed 04 July 1860 | 8 months 28 days | |
| Case of Charles Wentworth Bucknell Committee No.17 | Fri 23 September 1859 | Wed 04 July 1860 | 9 months 12 days | |
| Case of James Hibburd Committee No.16 | Fri 23 September 1859 | Wed 04 July 1860 | 9 months 12 days | |
| Dismissal of Mr .F Gorton Committee No.9 | Wed 14 September 1859 | Wed 04 July 1860 | 9 months 21 days | |
| Governor General’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 | Wed 31 August 1859 | Wed 31 August 1859 | 1 day | |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly | Tue 05 July 1859 | Wed 17 July 1861 | 2 years 13 days | |
| Member for Darling Downs | Tue 05 July 1859 | Sat 10 December 1859 | 5 months 6 days |
Biography
Community activity
Member of the Johnsonian Club. President 1880. Warden of All Saints Church of England, Brisbane. Member of the Diocesan Church Society. Freemason.
Honours Received
Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1877.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Member of the Parliament of Queensland. Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Port Curtis 1863 - 1866; Eastern Downs 1867 - 1868; East Moreton 1868; and Maryborough 1875 - 1880. Member of the Legislative Council 1866; and 1868 - 1869. Minister without Office February 1866; Postmaster-General March 1866 and December - 1868 - November 1869; Treasurer December 1866 - May 1867; Secretary for Public Works May - August 1867; Premier March 1877 - January 1879; and Colonial Secretary November 1877 - January 1879.
Personal information
Son of Henry Alexander Douglas and Lady Elizabeth Dalzell, daughter of the Earl of Carnwarth. His father was a first cousin of the 8th Marquess of Queensberry (father of Lord Alfred Douglas, made famous by his connection with Oscar Wilde). Married (1) Mary Howe Simpson in 1861 and had no issue. Married (2) Sarah Hickey in 1877 and they had 4 sons. Church of England. Parents died in 1837 and he was raised by his aunts.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Squatter and journalist. Educated at Edinburgh Academy, Rugby 1843 - 1847, University of Durham (B. A 1850). Arrived in New South Wales with brother Edward and £2,000 in August 1851. Became a Sub-Commissioner of the goldfields near Araluen in 1852. Commanded police at Tuera goldfields in November 1852 until June 1853. Went to the Darling Downs with Thomas Hood in 1854 taking up Talgai squatting run (64,000 acres). Assisted to establish the Darling Downs Gazette in 1858. took up 6 pastoral runs in Port Curtis District in 1860. Moved to Brisbane in 1863, entering the Queensland Parliament. Queensland Agent - General in London 1869 - 1870. Became insolvent in 1872. Premier of Queensland from March 1877 to January 1879. Special Commissioner for the Protectorate of British New Guinea 1885 - 1888. Leader writer and journalist on the Brisbane Courier and other papers. Government resident and police magistrate on Thursday Island 1885 - 1904.
Additional information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4