Malcolm McEacharn
Encyclopedia
Sir Malcolm Donald McEacharn (8 February 1852 - 10 March 1910) was Mayor of Melbourne from 1897 to 1900. He was a well-known Australia
n shipping magnate in the early part of the twentieth century and successfully stood for the Division of Melbourne
at the inaugural federal election, held in 1901.
on 8 February 1852 to a master mariner Malcolm and his wife Ann, née Gay, both from the Isle of Islay
, Scotland
. His father died in a shipwreck two years later, and, as the son of a dead sailor, the Royal Caledonian School in Islington
cared for and educated him for seven years when he was of school age. In 1866, at age 14, he joined a London shipping office named Rucker, Offor & Co. He began his own shipbroking business in 1873 at age 21. Two years later he partnered with Andrew McIlwraith to found McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co. in London.
to Queensland
, Australia
. McEacharn and McIlwraith soon began to build up a mercantile
import and export business with Australia. McIlwraith's brothers lived in Australia: Thomas
in Brisbane and John in Melbourne. John acted as the firm's Melbourne
agent for the first three years. Ann Peirson, his wife was from Goathland, North Yorkshire - St Mary's church, Goathland has several plaques dedicated to their memory & that of their child - who died young in Australia.
to London. While his partner chose to remain in Britain, McEacharn settled in Australia. He bought a Rockhampton
shipping business, Walter Reid & Co., in 1881. On 4 July 1882 he married Mary Ann Watson, a daughter of mining millionaire J.B. Watson at Sandhurst (Bendigo) in Victoria
.
. McEacharn relocated to Melbourne in 1887 and "lived in style in a mansion, Goathlands, surrounded by, among other things, art works he had brought back from Japan." He set up head office there in Melbourne 1891, and incorporated as an Australian company separate from the London parent company.
He latched onto another boom in 1893, in the form of passenger and cargo trade to the Western Australian Goldfields with voyages to Java
, Singapore
and India
. In March 1893, McEacharn became a Councillor of Melbourne
. He was knighted after a term as Mayor of Melbourne from 1897 to 1900. He defended local government involvement in the economy, earning him a reputation as a "municipal socialist". In 1905, he helped to incorporate North Melbourne, Flemington
and Kensington
into the Council of Melbourne. However, while he continued with extensive involvement in local and national businesses, McEacharn also had ambitions beyond local government.
seat of Melbourne
. Endorsed by two local newspapers, The Age
and The Argus
, McEacharn defeated Labor
's William Maloney
. He supported both conservative and progressive
stances on contemporary issues. He strongly supported, for example, the interests of private employers, but at the same time, opposed women's suffrage and defended the use of Melanesia
n labour on the Queensland cane-fields. In the 1903 election, McEacharn defeated Maloney
only narrowly, and the election was declared void on a technicality. The subsequent by-election in March 1904 attracted great attention, which McEacharn ended up losing to Maloney.
McEacharn's subsequent decision to abandon politics after a single defeat was widely regarded as a mistake but, true to his stated intentions, he abandoned not only politics but Australia. In 1908 he purchased the ancestral home of the earl of Galloway, and he, his wife, and his children moved to Wigtownshire
, Scotland
.
, France
. He was survived by his wife, son and two daughters.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n shipping magnate in the early part of the twentieth century and successfully stood for the Division of Melbourne
Division of Melbourne
The Division of Melbourne is an Australian Electoral Division of Victoria. It is represented by Adam Bandt of the Australian Greens.Created at Federation in 1900 the division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
at the inaugural federal election, held in 1901.
Early life
McEacharn was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 8 February 1852 to a master mariner Malcolm and his wife Ann, née Gay, both from the Isle of Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His father died in a shipwreck two years later, and, as the son of a dead sailor, the Royal Caledonian School in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
cared for and educated him for seven years when he was of school age. In 1866, at age 14, he joined a London shipping office named Rucker, Offor & Co. He began his own shipbroking business in 1873 at age 21. Two years later he partnered with Andrew McIlwraith to found McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co. in London.
Shipping career
McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co. became a very successful company, earning profitable contracts to carry cargo and immigrantsImmigration to Australia
Immigration to Australia is estimated to have begun around 51,000 years ago when the ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on the continent via the islands of the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. Europeans first landed in the 17th and 18th Centuries, but colonisation only started in 1788. The...
to Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. McEacharn and McIlwraith soon began to build up a mercantile
Mercantilism
Mercantilism is the economic doctrine in which government control of foreign trade is of paramount importance for ensuring the prosperity and security of the state. In particular, it demands a positive balance of trade. Mercantilism dominated Western European economic policy and discourse from...
import and export business with Australia. McIlwraith's brothers lived in Australia: Thomas
Thomas McIlwraith
Sir Thomas McIlwraith KCMG was for many years the dominant figure of colonial politics in Queensland. He was Premier of Queensland from 1877 to 1883, again in 1888, and for a third time in 1893...
in Brisbane and John in Melbourne. John acted as the firm's Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
agent for the first three years. Ann Peirson, his wife was from Goathland, North Yorkshire - St Mary's church, Goathland has several plaques dedicated to their memory & that of their child - who died young in Australia.
Move to Australia
McEacharn married Ann Peirson, a landowner, on 10 January 1878 in Yorkshire. After her death eleven months later, he travelled to Queensland to launch the Australian trade in refrigerated meat. McEacharn personally selected meat and butter, which his chartered ship, the Strathleven, accompanied by McEacharn, transported from SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to London. While his partner chose to remain in Britain, McEacharn settled in Australia. He bought a Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
shipping business, Walter Reid & Co., in 1881. On 4 July 1882 he married Mary Ann Watson, a daughter of mining millionaire J.B. Watson at Sandhurst (Bendigo) in 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....
.
Mayor of Melbourne
A decline in immigrants, in combination with competition from another British company, led to McIlwraith, McEacharn progressively withdrawing their sailing ships from the Queensland run. They began new affiliations and trade areas, such as the shipping of coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. McEacharn relocated to Melbourne in 1887 and "lived in style in a mansion, Goathlands, surrounded by, among other things, art works he had brought back from Japan." He set up head office there in Melbourne 1891, and incorporated as an Australian company separate from the London parent company.
He latched onto another boom in 1893, in the form of passenger and cargo trade to the Western Australian Goldfields with voyages to Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In March 1893, McEacharn became a Councillor of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. He was knighted after a term as Mayor of Melbourne from 1897 to 1900. He defended local government involvement in the economy, earning him a reputation as a "municipal socialist". In 1905, he helped to incorporate North Melbourne, Flemington
Flemington, Victoria
Flemington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, situated between the Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It was named by settler James Watson after Flemington estate in Scotland. Its Local Government Areas are the...
and Kensington
Kensington, Victoria
Kensington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
into the Council of Melbourne. However, while he continued with extensive involvement in local and national businesses, McEacharn also had ambitions beyond local government.
Federal politics
At the inaugural federal election in 1901, he successfully ran for the House of RepresentativesAustralian 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 Melbourne
Division of Melbourne
The Division of Melbourne is an Australian Electoral Division of Victoria. It is represented by Adam Bandt of the Australian Greens.Created at Federation in 1900 the division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
. Endorsed by two local newspapers, The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
and The Argus
The Argus (Australia)
The Argus was a morning daily newspaper in Melbourne established in 1846 and closed in 1957. Widely known as a conservative newspaper for most of its history, it adopted a left leaning approach from 1949...
, McEacharn defeated 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...
's William Maloney
William Maloney
Dr William Robert Nuttal Maloney was a long serving Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives for 36 years from 1904 to 1940....
. He supported both conservative and progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
stances on contemporary issues. He strongly supported, for example, the interests of private employers, but at the same time, opposed women's suffrage and defended the use of Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
n labour on the Queensland cane-fields. In the 1903 election, McEacharn defeated Maloney
William Maloney
Dr William Robert Nuttal Maloney was a long serving Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives for 36 years from 1904 to 1940....
only narrowly, and the election was declared void on a technicality. The subsequent by-election in March 1904 attracted great attention, which McEacharn ended up losing to Maloney.
McEacharn's subsequent decision to abandon politics after a single defeat was widely regarded as a mistake but, true to his stated intentions, he abandoned not only politics but Australia. In 1908 he purchased the ancestral home of the earl of Galloway, and he, his wife, and his children moved to Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Death
Sir Malcolm McEacharn died suddenly of a heart failure induced by pneumonia on 10 March 1910 in CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was survived by his wife, son and two daughters.
External links
- Australian House of Representatives Archive showing William Maloney's complaint that the 1903 election was tainted. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100277b.htm