John Forrest
Encyclopedia
Sir John Forrest GCMG
(22 August 1847 – 2 September 1918) was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia
and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament.
As a young man, John Forrest won fame as an explorer by leading three expeditions into the interior of Western Australia. He was appointed Surveyor General
and in 1890 became the first Premier of Western Australia
, its only premier as a self-governing colony
. Forrest's premiership gave the state ten years of stable administration during a period of rapid development and demographic change. He pursued a policy of large-scale public works and extensive land settlement, and he helped to ensure that Western Australia joined the federation
of Australian states. After federation, he moved to federal politics, where he was at various times postmaster-general, Minister for Defence
, Minister for Home Affairs
, Treasurer
and acting Prime Minister
.
Shortly before his death, Forrest was informed that the King had approved his being raised to the British peerage as Baron Forrest of Bunbury. He immediately began signing his name as "Forrest", as if he were already a peer. However, at the time of his death his peerage had not been legally established by letters patent
. References to him as "Lord Forrest" are therefore incorrect.
in what was then the British colony of Western Australia. He was also known as Jack to his family. Among his seven brothers were Alexander Forrest
and David Forrest
. John attended the government school in Bunbury under John Hislop
until the age of twelve, when he was sent north to Perth
to attend the Bishop's Collegiate School, now Hale School
, starting there in January 1860. In November 1863, he was apprenticed to a government land surveyor named Thomas Carey. When his term of apprenticeship ended in November 1865, he became the first man born and educated in the colony to qualify as a land surveyor. He then commenced work as a surveyor with the government's Lands and Surveys Department.
On 2 September 1876 in Perth, Forrest married Margaret Elvire Hamersley
. The Hamersleys
were a very wealthy family, and Forrest gained substantially in wealth and social standing from the marriage. However, to their disappointment the marriage was childless.
Between 1869 and 1874, Forrest led three expeditions into the uncharted land surrounding the colony of Western Australia. In 1869, he led a fruitless search for the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt
, in the desert west of the site of the present-day town of Leonora
. The following year, he surveyed Edward John Eyre
's land route from Perth to Adelaide
. In 1874, he led a party to the watershed of the Murchison River
, and then east through the unknown desert centre of Western Australia. Forrest published an account of his expeditions, Explorations in Australia, in 1875. In 1882, He was made a Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
(CMG) by Queen Victoria
for his services in exploring the interior.
, who had been missing since April 1848. A few years earlier, a party of Aborigines had told the explorer Charles Hunt
of a place where a group of white men had been killed by Aborigines a long time ago, and some time afterwards an Aboriginal tracker
named Jemmy Mungaro had corroborated their story and claimed to have personally been to the location. Since it was thought that these stories might refer to Leichhardt's party, Forrest was asked to lead a party to the site, with Mungaro as their guide, and there to search for evidence of Leichhardt's fate.
Forrest assembled a party of six, including the Aboriginal trackers Mungaro and Tommy Windich
, and they left Perth on 15 April 1869. They headed in a north-easterly direction, passing through the colony's furthermost sheep station on 26 April. On 6 May, they encountered a group of Aborigines who offered to guide the party to a place where there were many skeletons of horses. Forrest's team accompanied this group in a more northerly direction, but after a week of travelling it became clear that their destination was Poison Rock, where the explorer Robert Austin
was known to have left eleven of his horses for dead in 1854. They then turned once more towards the location indicated by their guide.
The team arrived in the location to be searched on 28 May. They then spent almost three weeks surveying and searching an area of about 15,000 km² in the desert west of the site of the present-day town of Leonora
. Having found no evidence of Leichhardt's fate, and Mungaro having changed his story and admitted that he had not personally visited the site, they decided to push as far eastwards as they could on their remaining supplies. The expedition reached its furthest point east on 2 July, near the present-day site of the town of Laverton. They then turned for home, returning by a more northerly route and arriving back in Perth on 6 August.
They had been absent for 113 days, and had travelled, by Forrest's reckoning, over 3600 kilometres (2,236.9 mi), most of it through uncharted desert. They had found no sign of Leichhardt, and the country over which they travelled was useless for farming. However, Forrest did report that his compass had been affected by the presence of minerals in the ground, and he suggested that the government send geologists to examine the area. Ultimately, the expedition achieved very little, but it was of great personal advantage to Forrest, whose reputation with his superiors, and in the community at large, was greatly enhanced.
between the colonies of South Australia and Western Australia. The explorer Edward John Eyre had achieved such a crossing thirty years earlier, but his expedition had been poorly planned and equipped, and Eyre had nearly perished from lack of water. Forrest's expedition would follow Eyre's route, but it would be thoroughly planned and properly resourced. Also, the recent discovery of safe anchorages at Israelite Bay and Eucla
would permit Forrest's team to be reprovisioned along the way by a chartered schooner Adur. Forrest's brief was to provide a proper survey of the route, which might be used in future to establish a telegraph link between the colonies, and also to assess the suitability of the land for pasture.
Forrest's team consisted of six men his brother Alexander was second in charge, Police constable Hector McLarty
, farrier
William Osborn, trackers Windich and Billy Noongale 16 horses and a number of dogs. The party left Perth on 30 March 1870, and arrived at Esperance
on 24 April. Heavy rain fell for much of this time. After resting and reprovisioning, the party left Esperance on 9 May and arrived at Israelite Bay nine days later. They had encountered very little feed for their horses, and no permanent water, but managed to obtain sufficient rain water from rock water-holes. After reprovisioning, the team left for Eucla on 30 May. Again they encountered very little feed and no permanent water, and this time the water they obtained from rock water-holes was not sufficient. They were compelled to dash more than 240 kilometres (149.1 mi) to a spot where Eyre had found water in 1841. Having secured a water source, they rested and explored the area before moving on, eventually reaching Eucla on 2 July. At Eucla they rested and reprovisioned, and also explored inland, where they found good pasture land. On 14 July, the team started the final leg of their expedition through unsettled country: from Eucla to the nearest South Australian station. During this last leg almost no water could be found, and the team were compelled to travel day and night for nearly five days. They saw their first signs of civilisation on 18 July, and eventually reached Adelaide on 27 August.
A week later they boarded ship for Western Australia, arriving in Perth on 27 September. They were honoured at two receptions one by the Perth City Council and a citizens banquet at the Horse and Groom Tavern. Speaking at the receptions John Forrest was modest about his own contributions while praising the efforts of the members of the expedition and dividing a government gratuity between them.
Forrest's bight crossing was one of the best organised and managed expeditions of his time. As a result, his party successfully completed in five months a journey that had taken Eyre twelve, arriving in good health and without the loss of a single horse. From that point of view, the expedition must be considered a success. However, the tangible results were not great. They had not travelled far from Eyre's track, and although a large area was surveyed, only one small area of land suitable for pasture was found. A second expedition by the same team returned to this area between August and November 1871 finding further good pastures north north east of Esperance.
In August 1872 Forrest was invited to lead a third expedition, this time from Geraldton
to the source of the Murchison River, and then east through the uncharted centre of Western Australia, to the overland telegraph line from Darwin
to Adelaide. The purpose was to discover the nature of the unknown centre of Western Australia, and to find new pastoral land.
Forrest's team again consisted of six men including his brother Alexander and Windich. They also had 20 horses and food for eight months. The team left Geraldton on 1 April 1874, and a fortnight later passed through the colony's outermost station. On 3 May the team passed into completely unknown land. They found plenty of good pastoral land around the headwaters of the Murchison River, but by late May they were travelling over arid land. On 2 June, while dangerously short of water, they discovered Weld Springs, "one of the best springs in the colony" according to Forrest. At Weld Springs on 13 June the party was attacked by a large group of Aborigines, and Forrest was compelled to shoot a number of them. Beyond Weld Springs water was extremely hard to obtain, and by 4 July the team were relying on occasional thunderstorms for water. By 2 August, the team was critically short of water; a number of horses had been abandoned, and Forrest's journal indicates that the team had little confidence of survival. A few days later they were rescued by a shower of rain. On 23 August they were again critically short of water and half of their horses were near death, when they were saved by the discovery of Elder Springs. After this, the land became somewhat less arid, and the risk of dying from thirst started to abate. Other difficulties continued, however: they had to abandon more of their horses, and one member of the team suffered from scurvy and could barely walk. They finally sighted the telegraph line near Mount Alexander on 27 September, and reached Peake Telegraph Station three days later. The remainder of the journey was a succession of triumphant public receptions as they passed through each country town en route to Adelaide. The team reached Adelaide on 3 November 1874, more than six months after they started from Geraldton.
From an exploration point of view, Forrest's third expedition was of great importance. A large area of previously unknown land was explored, and the popular notion of an inland sea was shown to be unlikely. However the practical results were not great. Plenty of good pastoral land was found up to the head of the Murchison, but beyond that the land was useless for pastoral enterprise, and Forrest was convinced that it would never be settled.
In 1875, Forrest published Explorations in Australia, an account of his three expeditions. In July 1876, he was awarded the Founder's Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society
of London. He was made a CMG
by Queen Victoria in 1882 for his services in exploring the interior.
in the positions of surveyor-general and commissioner of crown lands. This was one of the most powerful and responsible positions in the colony, and it accorded him a seat on the colony's Executive Council. At the same time, Forrest was nominated to the colony's Legislative Council
. After Britain ceded to Western Australia the right to self-rule in 1890, Forrest was elected unopposed to the seat of Bunbury
in the Legislative Assembly
. On 22 December 1890, Governor William Robinson appointed Forrest the first Premier of Western Australia
. In May of the following year, he was knighted KCMG
for his services to the colony.
The Forrest Ministry
immediately embarked on a programme of large-scale public works funded by loans raised in London. Public works were greatly in demand at the time, because of the British government's reluctance to approve public spending in the colony. Under the direction of the brilliant engineer C. Y. O'Connor
, many thousands of miles of railway were laid, and many bridges, jetties, lighthouses and town halls were constructed. The two most ambitious projects were the Fremantle
Harbour Works, one of the few public works of the 1890s which is still in use today; and the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme
, one of the greatest engineering feats of its time, in which the Helena River
was dammed and the water piped over 550 kilometres (341.8 mi) to Kalgoorlie. Forrest's public works programme was generally well received, although on the Eastern Goldfields
where the rate of population growth and geographical expansion far outstripped the government's ability to provide works, Forrest was criticised for not doing enough. He invited further criticism in 1893 with his infamous "spoils to the victors" speech, in which he appeared to assert that members who opposed the government were putting at risk their constituents' access to their fair share of public works.
Forrest's government also implemented a number of social reforms, including measures to improve the status of women, young girls and wage-earners. However, although Forrest did not always oppose proposals for social reform, he never instigated or championed them. Critics have therefore argued that Forrest deserves little credit for the social reforms achieved under his premiership. On political reform, however, Forrest's influence was unquestionable. In 1893, Forrest guided through parliament a number of significant amendments to the Constitution of Western Australia, including an extension of the franchise to all men regardless of property ownership.
The major political question of the time, though, was federation. Forrest was in favour of federation, and felt that it was inevitable, but he also felt that Western Australia should not join until it obtained fair terms. He was heavily involved in the framing of the Australian Constitution, representing Western Australia at a number of meetings on federation, including the National Australasian Conventions in Sydney in 1891 and in Adelaide in 1897, and the Australasian Federal Conventions in Sydney in 1897 and in Melbourne in 1898. He fought hard to protect the rights of the less populous states, arguing for a strong upper house organised along state lines. He also argued for a number of concessions to Western Australia, and for the building of a trans-Australian railway. Although he was largely unsuccessful in his endeavours, by 1900 he was convinced that better terms were not to be obtained, so called the referendum in which Western Australians voted to join the federation, and Western Australia became a part of Australia in 1901.
's federal government. Two days later he received news that he had been made a GCMG
. Forrest was postmaster-general for only seventeen days; he resigned the position to take up the defence portfolio, which had been made vacant by the death of Sir James Dickson
. On 13 February 1901, he resigned as premier of Western Australia and member for Bunbury. In the first federal election, held on 29 March 1901, he was elected unopposed, on a moderate protectionist platform, to the federal House of Representatives
seat of Swan
. Forrest held the defence portfolio
for over two years. After a cabinet reshuffle on 7 August 1903, he became Minister for Home Affairs
.
The federal election of December 1903 greatly weakened the governing party, and shortly afterwards it was defeated and replaced by a Labor
government under Chris Watson
. Forrest moved to the crossbenches, where he was a scathing critic of the Labour government's policies and legislation. After George Reid
's Free Trade Party
took office in August 1904, he remained on the crossbenches but largely supported the government. In June 1905, Alfred Deakin
's Protectionist Party
formed an alliance with Labor and ejected Reid's government. They formed a new government on 7 July, with Forrest appointed Treasurer, and fifth in seniority. After a ministerial reshuffle in October 1906, Forrest became third in cabinet precedence. Five months later, Deakin and his deputy William Lyne
travelled to London to attend conferences, and Forrest was appointed acting Prime Minister from 18 March to 27 June 1907.
The alliance with Labor had put Forrest in a difficult position, for he had been consistently critical and even hostile towards them. Leading up to the federal election of December 1906, he continued to attack the Labor Party, despite sharing government with them and depending on their support. In the following months, Forrest was himself heavily criticised in the press for his willingness to work with the Labor Party, and his perceived hypocrisy in attacking them during election campaigns while depending on their support when cabinet was in session. He began to feel that his reputation in Western Australia and his personal standing in cabinet were being undermined. In response, he resigned as treasurer on 30 July 1907 and joined the crossbenches, where he was a critic of, but did not strongly oppose, the government.
A few months later, Labor withdrew its support for Deakin's government, forcing it to resign. Labor then formed government under Andrew Fisher
. In the following months, Forrest and a number of other members worked to arrange a fusion of the Free Trade and Protectionist parties into a single party. Eventually, the Commonwealth Liberal Party
was formed, with Deakin as leader. Fisher was then forced to resign, and the new Liberal Party took office on 2 June 1909, with Forrest as treasurer. Labor eventually reclaimed office in the federal election
of April 1910.
Early in 1913, Deakin resigned as Leader of the Opposition. Forrest and Joseph Cook
contested the leadership, with Cook winning by a single vote. Forrest was very disappointed, as Deakin, whom he considered a friend, had voted against him. Five months later, in the federal election
of May 1913, the Liberal Party returned to power, with Cook as Prime Minister. Forrest was appointed treasurer for the third time. However, the government's majority of just one seat in the House of Representatives, along with Labor's large majority in the Senate, made it extremely difficult to govern, and very little was achieved. In June 1914, Cook asked the Governor-General
for a double dissolution
, and Australia was sent back to the polls. Forrest retained his seat, but the Liberal Party was soundly beaten, and Forrest was again relegated to the crossbenches.
In December 1916, a split in the Labor Party over conscription left Prime Minister Billy Hughes
with a minority government. Hughes and his colleagues formed the National Labor Party
, and the Liberal Party joined with them in the formation of a new government. For the fourth time, Forrest was appointed treasurer. The National Labor and Liberal parties easily won a combined majority at the federal election of May 1917, and shortly afterwards the two parties merged to form the Nationalist Party of Australia
.
On 20 December, a referendum on conscription was defeated, and Hughes kept a promise to resign as prime minister if the referendum was lost. Forrest immediately declared himself a candidate for the position, but the governor-general found that Forrest did not have the numbers, and asked Hughes to form government again. Hughes accepted and the previous government was again sworn in.
On 6 February 1918, Forrest was informed that he was to be raised to the British peerage as Baron Forrest of Bunbury in the Commonwealth of Australia and of Forret in Fife in the United Kingdom. Despite the announcement, however, no Letters patent
were issued before his death, so the peerage was not officially created. According to Rubinstein (1991), "his peerage is not mentioned or included in Burke's Peerage, The New Extinct Peerage, the Complete Peerage, or any other standard reference work on the subject."
Forrest had been suffering from a cancer on his temple since early in 1917 and by 1918 he was very ill. He resigned as treasurer but not from parliament on 21 March 1918, and shortly afterwards boarded ship for London, where he hoped to obtain specialist medical attention. He also hoped to be able to take his seat in the House of Lords
. But on 2 September 1918, with his ship off the coast of Sierra Leone
, he died. He was buried there, but his remains were later brought back to Western Australia and interred in Karrakatta Cemetery
.
John Forrest was a tall, heavily-built man; in his later years, he tended towards stoutness, and he weighed about 120 kilograms when he died. He was fond of pomp and ceremony, and insisted on being treated with respect at all times. Highly sensitive to criticism, he hated having his authority challenged, and tended to browbeat his political opponents. He had very little sense of humour, being greatly offended when a journalist playfully referred to him as the "Commissioner for Crown Sands". He was, however, a very popular figure, who treated everyone he met with politeness and dignity. He was renowned for his memory for names and faces, and for his prolific letter writing.
In addition, the suburb of Forrest, Australian Capital Territory
is named after Forrest, as one of the many suburbs of Canberra
named after Australia's first federal politicians.
The Forrest Highway, opened in September 2009, was named after him. The Eyre Highway
was first known as the Forrest Highway when it was first established as an unsealed road in 1942.
John Forrest is one of many railroad builders featured as a possible computer-controlled competitor in the simulation game Railroad Tycoon 3
.
On 28 November 1949 the Australian post office issued a commemorative stamp that featured John Forrest.
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....
(22 August 1847 – 2 September 1918) was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament.
As a young man, John Forrest won fame as an explorer by leading three expeditions into the interior of Western Australia. He was appointed Surveyor General
Surveyor General of Western Australia
The Surveyor General of Western Australia is the person nominally responsible for government surveying in Western Australia.In the early history of Western Australia, the office of surveyor general was one of the most important public offices...
and in 1890 became the first Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
, its only premier as a self-governing colony
Self-governing colony
A self-governing colony is a colony with an elected legislature, in which politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the colonial power with formal or nominal control of the colony...
. Forrest's premiership gave the state ten years of stable administration during a period of rapid development and demographic change. He pursued a policy of large-scale public works and extensive land settlement, and he helped to ensure that Western Australia joined the federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
of Australian states. After federation, he moved to federal politics, where he was at various times postmaster-general, Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
, Minister for Home Affairs
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
, Treasurer
Treasurer of Australia
The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government...
and acting Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
.
Shortly before his death, Forrest was informed that the King had approved his being raised to the British peerage as Baron Forrest of Bunbury. He immediately began signing his name as "Forrest", as if he were already a peer. However, at the time of his death his peerage had not been legally established by letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
. References to him as "Lord Forrest" are therefore incorrect.
Early years and family life
Forrest, was one of 10 children of William and Margaret Forrest, who came out as servants under Dr John Ferguson in 1842. He was born at Picton near BunburyBunbury, Western Australia
The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
in what was then the British colony of Western Australia. He was also known as Jack to his family. Among his seven brothers were Alexander Forrest
Alexander Forrest
Alexander Forrest CMG, was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia, as well as a politician.-Early life:Forrest was born at Picton, near Bunbury in Western Australia, the son of William and Margaret Forrest...
and David Forrest
David Forrest (Australian politician)
David Forrest was an Australian politician, a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1900 to 1901, holding the seat of Ashburton. He was the younger brother of Sir John Forrest and Alexander Forrest, and the great-grandfather of Andrew Forrest.Forrest was the sixth child of...
. John attended the government school in Bunbury under John Hislop
John Hislop
James John Henry Hislop was a convict transported to Western Australia. After the expiry of his sentence, he became the first ex-convict in Western Australia to be appointed a teacher....
until the age of twelve, when he was sent north to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to attend the Bishop's Collegiate School, now Hale School
Hale School
Hale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
, starting there in January 1860. In November 1863, he was apprenticed to a government land surveyor named Thomas Carey. When his term of apprenticeship ended in November 1865, he became the first man born and educated in the colony to qualify as a land surveyor. He then commenced work as a surveyor with the government's Lands and Surveys Department.
On 2 September 1876 in Perth, Forrest married Margaret Elvire Hamersley
Margaret Forrest
Lady Forrest , born Margaret Elvire Hamersley, was the wife of Sir John Forrest. Born in Le Havre, France, she was a member of the prominent and wealthy Hamersley family; her father was Edward Hamersley , and amongst her brothers were Edward Hamersley and Samuel Hamersley...
. The Hamersleys
Hamersley family
The Hamersley family were a wealthy and well-connected family of early settlers in the colony of Western Australia. Members of the Hamersley family emigrated to Western Australia from England in 1837.Prominent members and connections of the family include:...
were a very wealthy family, and Forrest gained substantially in wealth and social standing from the marriage. However, to their disappointment the marriage was childless.
Forrest the explorer
Ludwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
, in the desert west of the site of the present-day town of Leonora
Leonora, Western Australia
Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north of the city of Kalgoorlie. At the 2006 census, Leonora had a population of 401, about a third of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The area is extremely arid, with a...
. The following year, he surveyed Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica....
's land route from Perth to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. In 1874, he led a party to the watershed of the Murchison River
Murchison River (Western Australia)
The Murchison River is the second longest river in Western Australia. It flows for about from the southern edge of the Robinson Ranges to the Indian Ocean at Kalbarri. It has a mean annual flow of about 200 million cubic metres.-Course:...
, and then east through the unknown desert centre of Western Australia. Forrest published an account of his expeditions, Explorations in Australia, in 1875. In 1882, He was made a Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
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....
(CMG) by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
for his services in exploring the interior.
The search for Leichhardt
In March 1869, Forrest was asked to lead an expedition in search of the explorer Ludwig LeichhardtLudwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
, who had been missing since April 1848. A few years earlier, a party of Aborigines had told the explorer Charles Hunt
Charles Cooke Hunt
Charles Cooke Hunt was an explorer who led four expeditions into the interior of Western Australia between 1864 and 1866. He died in Geraldton....
of a place where a group of white men had been killed by Aborigines a long time ago, and some time afterwards an Aboriginal tracker
Aboriginal tracker
In the years following British settlement in Australia, aboriginal trackers or black trackers, as they became known, were enlisted by settlers to assist them in navigating their way through the Australian landscape...
named Jemmy Mungaro had corroborated their story and claimed to have personally been to the location. Since it was thought that these stories might refer to Leichhardt's party, Forrest was asked to lead a party to the site, with Mungaro as their guide, and there to search for evidence of Leichhardt's fate.
Forrest assembled a party of six, including the Aboriginal trackers Mungaro and Tommy Windich
Tommy Windich
Tommy Windich was an Indigenous Australian member of a number of exploring expeditions in Western Australia in the 1860s and 1870s.Tommy Windich was born around 1840 near Mount Stirling in Western Australia...
, and they left Perth on 15 April 1869. They headed in a north-easterly direction, passing through the colony's furthermost sheep station on 26 April. On 6 May, they encountered a group of Aborigines who offered to guide the party to a place where there were many skeletons of horses. Forrest's team accompanied this group in a more northerly direction, but after a week of travelling it became clear that their destination was Poison Rock, where the explorer Robert Austin
Robert Austin
Robert Austin led the Austin expedition of 1854, one of the first European inland explanations of Western Australia with Kenneth Brown. They explored Geraldton, Mount Magnet, and the Murchison River area.-References:...
was known to have left eleven of his horses for dead in 1854. They then turned once more towards the location indicated by their guide.
The team arrived in the location to be searched on 28 May. They then spent almost three weeks surveying and searching an area of about 15,000 km² in the desert west of the site of the present-day town of Leonora
Leonora, Western Australia
Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north of the city of Kalgoorlie. At the 2006 census, Leonora had a population of 401, about a third of whom are of Aboriginal descent. The area is extremely arid, with a...
. Having found no evidence of Leichhardt's fate, and Mungaro having changed his story and admitted that he had not personally visited the site, they decided to push as far eastwards as they could on their remaining supplies. The expedition reached its furthest point east on 2 July, near the present-day site of the town of Laverton. They then turned for home, returning by a more northerly route and arriving back in Perth on 6 August.
They had been absent for 113 days, and had travelled, by Forrest's reckoning, over 3600 kilometres (2,236.9 mi), most of it through uncharted desert. They had found no sign of Leichhardt, and the country over which they travelled was useless for farming. However, Forrest did report that his compass had been affected by the presence of minerals in the ground, and he suggested that the government send geologists to examine the area. Ultimately, the expedition achieved very little, but it was of great personal advantage to Forrest, whose reputation with his superiors, and in the community at large, was greatly enhanced.
The Bight crossing
Later that year, Forrest was selected to lead an expedition that would survey a land route along the Great Australian BightGreat Australian Bight
The Great Australian Bight is a large bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia.-Extent:...
between the colonies of South Australia and Western Australia. The explorer Edward John Eyre had achieved such a crossing thirty years earlier, but his expedition had been poorly planned and equipped, and Eyre had nearly perished from lack of water. Forrest's expedition would follow Eyre's route, but it would be thoroughly planned and properly resourced. Also, the recent discovery of safe anchorages at Israelite Bay and Eucla
Eucla, Western Australia
Eucla is the easternmost locality in Western Australia, located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Eyre Highway, approximately west of the South Australian border...
would permit Forrest's team to be reprovisioned along the way by a chartered schooner Adur. Forrest's brief was to provide a proper survey of the route, which might be used in future to establish a telegraph link between the colonies, and also to assess the suitability of the land for pasture.
Forrest's team consisted of six men his brother Alexander was second in charge, Police constable Hector McLarty
Hector Neil McLarty
Hector Neil McLarty was a Western Australian Police officer, and customs detective. During his service as a police officer he accompanied future Premier John Forrest on two expeditions and was in charge of the officers attempting to capture the Fenian escapees on the Catalpa.-Personal life:McLarty...
, farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
William Osborn, trackers Windich and Billy Noongale 16 horses and a number of dogs. The party left Perth on 30 March 1870, and arrived at Esperance
Esperance, Western Australia
Esperance is a large town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located on the Southern Ocean coastline approximately east-southeast of the state capital, Perth. The shire of Esperance is home to 9,536 people as of the 2006 census, its major industries are tourism, agriculture,...
on 24 April. Heavy rain fell for much of this time. After resting and reprovisioning, the party left Esperance on 9 May and arrived at Israelite Bay nine days later. They had encountered very little feed for their horses, and no permanent water, but managed to obtain sufficient rain water from rock water-holes. After reprovisioning, the team left for Eucla on 30 May. Again they encountered very little feed and no permanent water, and this time the water they obtained from rock water-holes was not sufficient. They were compelled to dash more than 240 kilometres (149.1 mi) to a spot where Eyre had found water in 1841. Having secured a water source, they rested and explored the area before moving on, eventually reaching Eucla on 2 July. At Eucla they rested and reprovisioned, and also explored inland, where they found good pasture land. On 14 July, the team started the final leg of their expedition through unsettled country: from Eucla to the nearest South Australian station. During this last leg almost no water could be found, and the team were compelled to travel day and night for nearly five days. They saw their first signs of civilisation on 18 July, and eventually reached Adelaide on 27 August.
A week later they boarded ship for Western Australia, arriving in Perth on 27 September. They were honoured at two receptions one by the Perth City Council and a citizens banquet at the Horse and Groom Tavern. Speaking at the receptions John Forrest was modest about his own contributions while praising the efforts of the members of the expedition and dividing a government gratuity between them.
Forrest's bight crossing was one of the best organised and managed expeditions of his time. As a result, his party successfully completed in five months a journey that had taken Eyre twelve, arriving in good health and without the loss of a single horse. From that point of view, the expedition must be considered a success. However, the tangible results were not great. They had not travelled far from Eyre's track, and although a large area was surveyed, only one small area of land suitable for pasture was found. A second expedition by the same team returned to this area between August and November 1871 finding further good pastures north north east of Esperance.
Across the interior
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
to the source of the Murchison River, and then east through the uncharted centre of Western Australia, to the overland telegraph line from Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
to Adelaide. The purpose was to discover the nature of the unknown centre of Western Australia, and to find new pastoral land.
Forrest's team again consisted of six men including his brother Alexander and Windich. They also had 20 horses and food for eight months. The team left Geraldton on 1 April 1874, and a fortnight later passed through the colony's outermost station. On 3 May the team passed into completely unknown land. They found plenty of good pastoral land around the headwaters of the Murchison River, but by late May they were travelling over arid land. On 2 June, while dangerously short of water, they discovered Weld Springs, "one of the best springs in the colony" according to Forrest. At Weld Springs on 13 June the party was attacked by a large group of Aborigines, and Forrest was compelled to shoot a number of them. Beyond Weld Springs water was extremely hard to obtain, and by 4 July the team were relying on occasional thunderstorms for water. By 2 August, the team was critically short of water; a number of horses had been abandoned, and Forrest's journal indicates that the team had little confidence of survival. A few days later they were rescued by a shower of rain. On 23 August they were again critically short of water and half of their horses were near death, when they were saved by the discovery of Elder Springs. After this, the land became somewhat less arid, and the risk of dying from thirst started to abate. Other difficulties continued, however: they had to abandon more of their horses, and one member of the team suffered from scurvy and could barely walk. They finally sighted the telegraph line near Mount Alexander on 27 September, and reached Peake Telegraph Station three days later. The remainder of the journey was a succession of triumphant public receptions as they passed through each country town en route to Adelaide. The team reached Adelaide on 3 November 1874, more than six months after they started from Geraldton.
From an exploration point of view, Forrest's third expedition was of great importance. A large area of previously unknown land was explored, and the popular notion of an inland sea was shown to be unlikely. However the practical results were not great. Plenty of good pastoral land was found up to the head of the Murchison, but beyond that the land was useless for pastoral enterprise, and Forrest was convinced that it would never be settled.
In 1875, Forrest published Explorations in Australia, an account of his three expeditions. In July 1876, he was awarded the Founder's Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
of London. He was made a CMG
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....
by Queen Victoria in 1882 for his services in exploring the interior.
Premier John Forrest
John Forrest was an outstanding surveyor, and his successful expeditions had made him a popular public figure as well. Consequently, he was promoted rapidly through the ranks of the Lands and Surveys Department, and in January 1883 he succeeded Malcolm FraserMalcolm Fraser (surveyor)
Sir Malcolm Fraser KCMG was a powerful public servant in colonial Western Australia in the 1870s and 1880s.Malcolm Fraser was born in Gloucestershire, England in 1834. Nothing is known of his early life, except that he must have qualified as a surveyor at some stage, and that he emigrated to New...
in the positions of surveyor-general and commissioner of crown lands. This was one of the most powerful and responsible positions in the colony, and it accorded him a seat on the colony's Executive Council. At the same time, Forrest was nominated to the colony's Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
. After Britain ceded to Western Australia the right to self-rule in 1890, Forrest was elected unopposed to the seat of Bunbury
Electoral district of Bunbury
The Electoral district of Bunbury is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.The district, taking in the city of Bunbury has existed continuously since 1890, being one of the original 30 seats contested at the 1890 state election...
in the Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
. On 22 December 1890, Governor William Robinson appointed Forrest the first Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
. In May of the following year, he was knighted KCMG
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....
for his services to the colony.
The Forrest Ministry
Forrest ministry
The Forrest Ministry was the first government ministry in Western Australia, after the inauguration of responsible government. It was in government from 29 December 1890 to 14 February 1901, when it was succeeded by the Throssell Ministry following the 1901 elections.The members of the Forrest...
immediately embarked on a programme of large-scale public works funded by loans raised in London. Public works were greatly in demand at the time, because of the British government's reluctance to approve public spending in the colony. Under the direction of the brilliant engineer C. Y. O'Connor
C. Y. O'Connor
Charles Yelverton O'Connor CMG was an Irish engineer who is best-known for his work in Australia, especially the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme.-Early life:...
, many thousands of miles of railway were laid, and many bridges, jetties, lighthouses and town halls were constructed. The two most ambitious projects were the Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
Harbour Works, one of the few public works of the 1890s which is still in use today; and the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme
Goldfields Water Supply Scheme
The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme is a pipeline and dam project which delivers potable water to communities in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields, particularly Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie...
, one of the greatest engineering feats of its time, in which the Helena River
Helena River
The Helena River is a tributary of the Swan River in Western Australia. The river rises in country east of Mount Dale and moves to the north west to Mundaring Weir, where it is dammed...
was dammed and the water piped over 550 kilometres (341.8 mi) to Kalgoorlie. Forrest's public works programme was generally well received, although on the Eastern Goldfields
Eastern Goldfields
The Eastern Goldfields is a figurative area used in speech to describe a region of Western Australia.-Name:The name is derived in two parts from, Eastern in relation to its location from Perth and Goldfields as the name suggests comes from the mining of Gold in the region...
where the rate of population growth and geographical expansion far outstripped the government's ability to provide works, Forrest was criticised for not doing enough. He invited further criticism in 1893 with his infamous "spoils to the victors" speech, in which he appeared to assert that members who opposed the government were putting at risk their constituents' access to their fair share of public works.
Forrest's government also implemented a number of social reforms, including measures to improve the status of women, young girls and wage-earners. However, although Forrest did not always oppose proposals for social reform, he never instigated or championed them. Critics have therefore argued that Forrest deserves little credit for the social reforms achieved under his premiership. On political reform, however, Forrest's influence was unquestionable. In 1893, Forrest guided through parliament a number of significant amendments to the Constitution of Western Australia, including an extension of the franchise to all men regardless of property ownership.
The major political question of the time, though, was federation. Forrest was in favour of federation, and felt that it was inevitable, but he also felt that Western Australia should not join until it obtained fair terms. He was heavily involved in the framing of the Australian Constitution, representing Western Australia at a number of meetings on federation, including the National Australasian Conventions in Sydney in 1891 and in Adelaide in 1897, and the Australasian Federal Conventions in Sydney in 1897 and in Melbourne in 1898. He fought hard to protect the rights of the less populous states, arguing for a strong upper house organised along state lines. He also argued for a number of concessions to Western Australia, and for the building of a trans-Australian railway. Although he was largely unsuccessful in his endeavours, by 1900 he was convinced that better terms were not to be obtained, so called the referendum in which Western Australians voted to join the federation, and Western Australia became a part of Australia in 1901.
In federal politics
On 30 December 1900 Forrest accepted the position of Postmaster-General in Edmund BartonEdmund Barton
Sir Edmund Barton, GCMG, KC , Australian politician and judge, was the first Prime Minister of Australia and a founding justice of the High Court of Australia....
's federal government. Two days later he received news that he had been made a GCMG
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....
. Forrest was postmaster-general for only seventeen days; he resigned the position to take up the defence portfolio, which had been made vacant by the death of Sir James Dickson
James Dickson
Sir James Robert Dickson, KCMG was an Australian politician and businessman, the 13th Premier of Queensland and a member of the first federal ministry....
. On 13 February 1901, he resigned as premier of Western Australia and member for Bunbury. In the first federal election, held on 29 March 1901, he was elected unopposed, on a moderate protectionist platform, to the federal House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seat of Swan
Division of Swan
The Division of Swan is an Australian Electoral Division located in Western Australia. The division is named after the Swan River.For several decades, it has been a marginal seat, extending along the Swan and Canning Rivers from the affluent suburbs in the City of South Perth to the west, which...
. Forrest held the defence portfolio
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
for over two years. After a cabinet reshuffle on 7 August 1903, he became Minister for Home Affairs
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
.
The federal election of December 1903 greatly weakened the governing party, and shortly afterwards it was defeated and replaced by a Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government under Chris Watson
Chris Watson
John Christian Watson , commonly known as Chris Watson, Australian politician, was the third Prime Minister of Australia...
. Forrest moved to the crossbenches, where he was a scathing critic of the Labour government's policies and legislation. After George Reid
George Reid (Australian politician)
Sir George Houstoun Reid, GCB, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales and the fourth Prime Minister of Australia....
's Free Trade Party
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
took office in August 1904, he remained on the crossbenches but largely supported the government. In June 1905, Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
's Protectionist Party
Protectionist Party
The Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in...
formed an alliance with Labor and ejected Reid's government. They formed a new government on 7 July, with Forrest appointed Treasurer, and fifth in seniority. After a ministerial reshuffle in October 1906, Forrest became third in cabinet precedence. Five months later, Deakin and his deputy William Lyne
William Lyne
Sir William John Lyne KCMG , Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales and a member of the first federal ministry.-Early life:...
travelled to London to attend conferences, and Forrest was appointed acting Prime Minister from 18 March to 27 June 1907.
The alliance with Labor had put Forrest in a difficult position, for he had been consistently critical and even hostile towards them. Leading up to the federal election of December 1906, he continued to attack the Labor Party, despite sharing government with them and depending on their support. In the following months, Forrest was himself heavily criticised in the press for his willingness to work with the Labor Party, and his perceived hypocrisy in attacking them during election campaigns while depending on their support when cabinet was in session. He began to feel that his reputation in Western Australia and his personal standing in cabinet were being undermined. In response, he resigned as treasurer on 30 July 1907 and joined the crossbenches, where he was a critic of, but did not strongly oppose, the government.
A few months later, Labor withdrew its support for Deakin's government, forcing it to resign. Labor then formed government under Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher was an Australian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister on three separate occasions. Fisher's 1910-13 Labor ministry completed a vast legislative programme which made him, along with Protectionist Alfred Deakin, the founder of the statutory structure of the new nation...
. In the following months, Forrest and a number of other members worked to arrange a fusion of the Free Trade and Protectionist parties into a single party. Eventually, the Commonwealth Liberal Party
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
was formed, with Deakin as leader. Fisher was then forced to resign, and the new Liberal Party took office on 2 June 1909, with Forrest as treasurer. Labor eventually reclaimed office in the federal election
Australian federal election, 1910
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 April 1910. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
of April 1910.
Early in 1913, Deakin resigned as Leader of the Opposition. Forrest and Joseph Cook
Joseph Cook
Sir Joseph Cook, GCMG was an Australian politician and the sixth Prime Minister of Australia. Born as Joseph Cooke and working in the coal mines of Silverdale, Staffordshire during his early life, he emigrated to Lithgow, New South Wales during the late 1880s, and became General-Secretary of the...
contested the leadership, with Cook winning by a single vote. Forrest was very disappointed, as Deakin, whom he considered a friend, had voted against him. Five months later, in the federal election
Australian federal election, 1913
Federal elections were held in Australia on 31 May 1913. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Andrew Fisher was defeated by the opposition Commonwealth Liberal...
of May 1913, the Liberal Party returned to power, with Cook as Prime Minister. Forrest was appointed treasurer for the third time. However, the government's majority of just one seat in the House of Representatives, along with Labor's large majority in the Senate, made it extremely difficult to govern, and very little was achieved. In June 1914, Cook asked the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
for a double dissolution
Double dissolution
A double dissolution is a procedure permitted under the Australian Constitution to resolve deadlocks between the House of Representatives and the Senate....
, and Australia was sent back to the polls. Forrest retained his seat, but the Liberal Party was soundly beaten, and Forrest was again relegated to the crossbenches.
In December 1916, a split in the Labor Party over conscription left Prime Minister Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
with a minority government. Hughes and his colleagues formed the National Labor Party
National Labor Party
The National Labor Party was the name used by the Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes for himself and his followers after he was expelled from the Australian Labor Party in November 1916 over his pro-conscription stance in relation to World War I...
, and the Liberal Party joined with them in the formation of a new government. For the fourth time, Forrest was appointed treasurer. The National Labor and Liberal parties easily won a combined majority at the federal election of May 1917, and shortly afterwards the two parties merged to form the Nationalist Party of Australia
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
.
On 20 December, a referendum on conscription was defeated, and Hughes kept a promise to resign as prime minister if the referendum was lost. Forrest immediately declared himself a candidate for the position, but the governor-general found that Forrest did not have the numbers, and asked Hughes to form government again. Hughes accepted and the previous government was again sworn in.
On 6 February 1918, Forrest was informed that he was to be raised to the British peerage as Baron Forrest of Bunbury in the Commonwealth of Australia and of Forret in Fife in the United Kingdom. Despite the announcement, however, no Letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
were issued before his death, so the peerage was not officially created. According to Rubinstein (1991), "his peerage is not mentioned or included in Burke's Peerage, The New Extinct Peerage, the Complete Peerage, or any other standard reference work on the subject."
Forrest had been suffering from a cancer on his temple since early in 1917 and by 1918 he was very ill. He resigned as treasurer but not from parliament on 21 March 1918, and shortly afterwards boarded ship for London, where he hoped to obtain specialist medical attention. He also hoped to be able to take his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. But on 2 September 1918, with his ship off the coast of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, he died. He was buried there, but his remains were later brought back to Western Australia and interred in Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan cemetery in the suburb of Karrakatta in Perth, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, with Robert Creighton. Currently managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, the cemetery attracts more than one million visitors each...
.
Forrest's character
Forrest's legacy
Forrest's legacy can be found in the Western Australian landscape, with many places named by him, or after him. These include:- the small settlement of ForrestForrest, Western AustraliaForrest is a small settlement and railway station on the Trans-Australian Railway in Western Australia. At the 2006 census, Forrest had a population of 18....
on the Trans-Australian RailwayTrans-Australian RailwayThe Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia...
; - Glen ForrestGlen Forrest, Western AustraliaGlen Forrest is a suburb within the Shire of Mundaring, south of John Forrest National Park, west of Mahogany Creek, east of Darlington, and north of the Helena River...
; - ForrestdaleForrestdale, Western AustraliaForrestdale is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Armadale.- Natural history :Forrestdale is home to Forrestdale Lake, a nature reserve important for waterbirds, many of which breed there. It usually fills in winter and dries out in summer...
; - John Forrest National ParkJohn Forrest National ParkJohn Forrest National Park is a national park in the Darling Scarp, 24 km east of Perth, Western Australia. It was the first national park in Western Australia and the second in Australia after Royal National Park.- Name :...
; - Forrest ChaseForrest ChaseForrest Chase is a major shopping centre in Forrest Place located in Perth, Western Australia.-Transport:As the centre connects with major pedestrian malls there is no direct vehicular transport to the location. However, the area is well serviced by bus links along St Georges Terrace, as well as...
; - ForrestfieldForrestfield, Western AustraliaForrestfield is a suburb of the Shire of Kalamunda in Western Australia. It lies 15 km to the southeast of Perth at the base of the Darling Scarp and the Southern border of the International Airport. There is authority to suggest it is named after Western Australia's first premier, John Forrest...
and - John Forrest Senior High School in MorleyMorley, Western AustraliaMorley is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, situated approximately northeast of Perth's central business district within the City of Bayswater local government area. It contains the Centro Galleria, Perth's second-largest commercial shopping centre, constructed in 1994. The Morley bus station...
.
In addition, the suburb of Forrest, Australian Capital Territory
Forrest, Australian Capital Territory
Forrest is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Forrest is named after Sir John Forrest, an explorer, legislator, Federalist, premier of Western Australia, and one of the fathers of the Australian Constitution...
is named after Forrest, as one of the many suburbs of Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
named after Australia's first federal politicians.
The Forrest Highway, opened in September 2009, was named after him. The Eyre Highway
Eyre Highway
The Eyre Highway is a highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Signed as National Highway 1/A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. It was named after explorer Edward John Eyre, who was the first to...
was first known as the Forrest Highway when it was first established as an unsealed road in 1942.
John Forrest is one of many railroad builders featured as a possible computer-controlled competitor in the simulation game Railroad Tycoon 3
Railroad Tycoon 3
Railroad Tycoon 3 is a computer game in the Railroad Tycoon series, released in 2003.-New features:The game interface is in full 3D, with free camera movement...
.
On 28 November 1949 the Australian post office issued a commemorative stamp that featured John Forrest.
External links
- Forrest, John (Sir) (1847–1918) National Library of Australia, Trove, People and Organisation record for John Forrest