James Swan (mayor of Brisbane)

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Mayor of Brisbane
In office
1873–1875
Preceded byEdward Baines
Succeeded byRichard Kingsford
Member of the Queensland Legislative Council
In office
18 April 1878 – 26 May 1891
Personal details
Born
James Swan

1811
Scottish Australian
Spouse(s)Christina Mackay (m.1831 d.1888), Christina Meikle (m.1889 d.1929)
OccupationPrinter, Newspaper proprietor

James Swan (1811–1891) was an

Member of the Queensland Legislative Council
.

Personal life

James Swan was born in 1811 in

Baptist.[1]

In 1831, James married Christina Mackay, daughter of John and Christina Mackay.[2][3] In 1837, James emigrated from Glasgow to Sydney with the Rev Dr John Dunmore Lang. In 1846, James Swan moved to Brisbane.[1] James's wife Christina died aged 76 years at their home "Burnside" at Swan Hill (now Windsor), Brisbane on 27 January 1888 after a lingering illness[3][4] and was buried in Toowong Cemetery.[5]

James married again on 10 January 1889 to Christina Meikle, daughter of the late Thomas Meikle and Christina McCallum.[3][6] James Swan died on 26 May 1891 on board the ship Jelunga while in the Mediterranean Sea bound for England. He was travelling with his wife for a 12-month visit. Aged 80 and in poor health when he commenced the trip, many doubted they would see him return, although his health had improved during the voyage.[1] He was buried at sea off Port Said, Egypt but he was memorialised on his first wife's grave in Toowong Cemetery.[7] James's second wife Christina died on 3 March 1929 aged 71 years. She was buried in Toowong Cemetery with her mother Christina Meikle (née McCallum).[8]

Business life

James Swan was apprenticed to the

Sydney Herald, but later left it to take up farming, where he did not do well.[1]

In 1846, the "

Brisbane Courier".[1]

James Swan was opposed to the use of convict labour in Queensland and to the grabbing of land by squatters. He also campaigned vigorously for the

Baptist Church.[2]

Politics

James Swan was an

Brisbane Municipal Council from 1872 to 1875 and was mayor from 1873 to 1875.[9]

He served on the following committees:[9]

  • Legislative Committee 1873
  • Improvement Committee 1873 - 1875
  • Cab Inspection Committee 1875

He was a force behind the decision to build the Victoria Bridge, the first bridge over the Brisbane River.[1]

James Swan was appointed to the

Legislative Council of Queensland on 18 April 1878. Being a lifetime appointment, he served until his death on 26 May 1891.[1][10]

See also
  • List of mayors and lord mayors of Brisbane

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Brisbane Courier, Tuesday 2 June 1891, page 5
  2. ^ a b c d Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
  3. ^ a b c Queensland Registrar-General of Births, Deaths & Marriages
  4. ^ Brisbane Courier, Saturday 28 January 1888, pages 1 & 4
  5. ^ Swan, Christina Archived 5 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search
  6. ^ Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 16 January 1889, page 4
  7. ^ Toowong Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions - Queensland Family History Society Inc.
  8. ^ Swan, Christina & Meikle Christina Archived 8 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search
  9. ^ a b Brisbane City Council Archives
  10. Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link
    )

External links
Civic offices
Preceded by
Mayor of Brisbane

1873–1875 		Succeeded by
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