James Patterson (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir James Brown Patterson, KCMG
(18 November 1833 – 30 October 1895), Australian colonial politician, was the 17th Premier of Victoria.
Patterson was born in Alnwick
, Northumberland, and emigrated to Victoria
in 1852 to seek his fortune on the goldfields. After a few years as a digger and four as a farmer, he settled in Chewton
, where he went into business as a butcher, later moving into real estate. He was Mayor of Chewton for four years before he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Castlemaine
in 1870.
A moderate conservative, Patterson served in the second third governments of the liberal leader Graham Berry
, as Commissioner for Public Works in 1875 and as Commissioner for Public Works and Vice-President of the Board of Land and Works in 1877–1880. From 1878 to 1880 he was also Postmaster-General. After 1881 he went into opposition, under the leadership of Duncan Gillies
, and was Commissioner for Trade and Customs in the Gillies government from 1889 to 1890.
With the onset of the depression which followed the end of the Land Boom in 1891, Patterson emerged as the leader of the conservative critics of the governments of James Munro
and William Shiels
, who tried to deal with the crash by cutting government expenditure and raising taxes. Patterson spoke for the business and middle classes who did not want increased taxation at a time of depressed trade. In January 1893 Patterson moved a successful no-confidence motion in the Shiels government and became Premier.
Patterson's government, however, had no better solutions to the depressed state of Victoria's government. A series of bank failures in April lead Patterson to declare a "bank holiday" (1 May 1893 – 5 May 1893) preventing panicked depositors from withdrawing their money. There were near-riots outside the closed banks, and confidence in the colony's finances plummeted. Later in the year Patterson became convinced that tax increases were after all inevitable, which the liberal opposition supported, but his conservative supporters revolted and he withdrew the idea, leaving himself with no policy at all.
Affairs drifted until August 1894, when Patterson in turn lost a confidence vote in the Assembly. At the resulting elections the conservatives were heavily defeated by the liberals under George Turner
. Patterson returned to the opposition benches and was created K.C.M.G. in 1894. He was still an MP when he died on 30 October 1895 from influenza
.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(18 November 1833 – 30 October 1895), Australian colonial politician, was the 17th Premier of Victoria.
Patterson was born in Alnwick
Alnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
, Northumberland, and emigrated to Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1852 to seek his fortune on the goldfields. After a few years as a digger and four as a farmer, he settled in Chewton
Chewton, Victoria
Chewton is a town in central Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Mount Alexander Local Government Area, 116 kilometres north west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Chewton had a population of 403.-History:...
, where he went into business as a butcher, later moving into real estate. He was Mayor of Chewton for four years before he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
for Castlemaine
Castlemaine, Victoria
Castlemaine is a city in Victoria, Australia, in the Goldfields region of Victoria about 120 kilometres northwest by road from Melbourne, and about 40 kilometres from the major provincial centre of Bendigo. It is the administrative and economic centre of the Shire of Mount Alexander. The...
in 1870.
A moderate conservative, Patterson served in the second third governments of the liberal leader Graham Berry
Graham Berry
Sir Graham Berry KCMG , Australian colonial politician, was the 11th Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most Radical and colourful figures in the politics of colonial Victoria, and made the most determined efforts to break the power of the Victorian Legislative Council, the stronghold of the...
, as Commissioner for Public Works in 1875 and as Commissioner for Public Works and Vice-President of the Board of Land and Works in 1877–1880. From 1878 to 1880 he was also Postmaster-General. After 1881 he went into opposition, under the leadership of Duncan Gillies
Duncan Gillies
Duncan Gillies , Australian colonial politician, was the 14th Premier of Victoria.Gillies was born at Overnewton near Glasgow, Scotland, where his father had a market garden. He was sent to the high school until he was about 14, when he entered an office in Glasgow...
, and was Commissioner for Trade and Customs in the Gillies government from 1889 to 1890.
With the onset of the depression which followed the end of the Land Boom in 1891, Patterson emerged as the leader of the conservative critics of the governments of James Munro
James Munro (Australian politician)
James Munro , Australian colonial politician, was the 15th Premier of Victoria.-Early life:James Munro was born in Armadale, Sutherland, Scotland, to Donald Munro and his wife, Georgina. James Munro's grandparents were an Alexander Munro of the family of Foulis, Ross-shire and Barbara Mackay, a...
and William Shiels
William Shiels
William Shiels , Australian colonial politician, was the 16th Premier of Victoria.-Biography:Shiels was born in County Londonderry, Ireland of a Presbyterian family and arrived in Melbourne as a child in 1853...
, who tried to deal with the crash by cutting government expenditure and raising taxes. Patterson spoke for the business and middle classes who did not want increased taxation at a time of depressed trade. In January 1893 Patterson moved a successful no-confidence motion in the Shiels government and became Premier.
Patterson's government, however, had no better solutions to the depressed state of Victoria's government. A series of bank failures in April lead Patterson to declare a "bank holiday" (1 May 1893 – 5 May 1893) preventing panicked depositors from withdrawing their money. There were near-riots outside the closed banks, and confidence in the colony's finances plummeted. Later in the year Patterson became convinced that tax increases were after all inevitable, which the liberal opposition supported, but his conservative supporters revolted and he withdrew the idea, leaving himself with no policy at all.
Affairs drifted until August 1894, when Patterson in turn lost a confidence vote in the Assembly. At the resulting elections the conservatives were heavily defeated by the liberals under George Turner
George Turner (Australian politician)
Sir George Turner, KCMG, PC , Australian politician, was the 18th Premier of Victoria and the first Treasurer of Australia in the federal Barton Ministry....
. Patterson returned to the opposition benches and was created K.C.M.G. in 1894. He was still an MP when he died on 30 October 1895 from influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
.