Sir James Burns
Encyclopedia
Sir James Burns KCMG (10 February 184622 August 1923) was a noted businessman, shipowner and philanthropist in Australia. In particular, he is known as the co-founder of Burns Philp
and Company, a shipping and trading company, and for establishing the Burnside Presbyterian Homes for Children in North Parramatta
(now known as UnitingCare Burnside), a children and family welfare organisation.
, Stirlingshire
, Scotland
, the son of a merchant, David Burns, and educated at Newington Academy
and the Royal High School
in Edinburgh
. He migrated to Queensland
in 1862 and worked for three years in Western Queensland as a jackeroo. In 1865 he formed a Brisbane
store, Burns & Scott, in partnership with his brother, and established the first stores in Gympie
and nearby One Mile Creek and Kilkivan
in 1867, when gold was found there. He sold his interests and returned to Scotland in 1870 after the death of his father. He briefly visited France as an observer and assistant in relief efforts after the Paris Commune
of 1871 before returning to Queensland.
enough money to become a partner in the enterprise. The company thrived through ownership of sail and steam powered trading ships, initially leased to ensure a steady supply of goods between Queensland and Sydney. This formed the basis of the Queensland Steam Shipping Company Limited, later amalgamated into Burns Philp and Company
, which remains as a major trading company today. The shipping expanded into various ports in the East Indies
and the Pacific Islands
, and the company branched into various trading endeavours throughout the following decades.
In addition to establishing Burns Philp and Company, his business interests include serving as chairman of the (North) Queensland Insurance Co. Ltd in 1886–1923, the New South Wales Mortgage, Land, and Agency Co. and the Solomon Islands Development Co. Ltd. He was also a director of the Australian Mutual Provident Society
, the Sydney Exchange Co., the Bank of North Queensland, and various collieries, as well as owning extensive Queensland pastoral properties.
Burns served on a royal commission of inquiry into railway administration in 1906 and was appointed to the Legislative Council of New South Wales in 1908.
He joined the Parramatta troop of the 1st Light Horse Regiment (New South Wales Lancers) as a trooper in June 1891 and was immediately promoted Captain, and became Major in January 1896. From September 1897 to June 1903 he commanded the regiment as its Lieutenant-Colonel. He was promoted to Colonel in July 1903 and commanded the 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade until January 1907, when he retired.
Burns was president of the Caledonian Society for twenty years. During World War I
Burns helped establish a scheme for insuring enlisted men with dependants, personally contributing £2000 a year during the duration of the war.
. He retired from government and business activities due to ill health in 1908, and lived at Gowan Brae from that time on. Shortly afterwards, he approached the Presbyterian Church of Australia
, suggesting that they establish a Presbyterian home for children. In 1910 he endowed some of the Gowan Brae property, to establish the Presbyterian Homes for Children (later renamed Burnside and currently known as UnitingCare Burnside) and was chairman of its board for ten years. It became his passion in his "retired" years, as he made numerous contributions towards new homes and the children. His business and government connections ensured that donations from other sources were also forthcoming, with houses named after sponsors and officially opened by dignitaries.
Burns continued to live at Gowan Brae until his death and was buried there in a family cemetery. He left the property to his son, James, but suggested that, should James not need the property, it should be given to the (then) Burnside Presbyterian Orphans Homes. James honoured this request, and the property was donated.
Much of the land has since been sold or leased to other organisations, or as residential developments. The property immediately around Gowan Brae is now owned by The Kings School
, while sections of the property are now owned by the Redeemer Baptist School
and Tara Anglican School for Girls
, with some still owned by the NSW Synod of the Uniting Church in Australia
for Burnside's own operations and the synod's activities such as the archives, Camden Library and the Uniting Theological College.
Burns Philp
Burns Philp was once a major player in the food manufacturing business. Since its delisting from the Australian Stock Exchange in December 2006 and the subsequent sale of its assets, the company has mainly become a cashed up shell company...
and Company, a shipping and trading company, and for establishing the Burnside Presbyterian Homes for Children in North Parramatta
North Parramatta, New South Wales
North Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Parramatta is located 24 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Parramatta...
(now known as UnitingCare Burnside), a children and family welfare organisation.
Early life
Burns was born at PolmontPolmont
Polmont is a village in the Falkirk council area of Central Scotland. It lies towards the east of the town of Falkirk, north of the Union Canal, which runs adjacent to the village....
, Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
, 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...
, the son of a merchant, David Burns, and educated at Newington Academy
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
and the Royal High School
Royal High School (Edinburgh)
The Royal High School of Edinburgh is a co-educational state school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland, and has, throughout its history, been high achieving, consistently attaining well above average exam results...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. He migrated 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...
in 1862 and worked for three years in Western Queensland as a jackeroo. In 1865 he formed a Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
store, Burns & Scott, in partnership with his brother, and established the first stores in Gympie
Gympie
Gympie may refer to:* Gympie, a city in Queensland, Australia** Gympie Airport** Electoral district of Gympie** Gympie Region, its local government authority* Gympie Gympie , a stinging plant...
and nearby One Mile Creek and Kilkivan
Kilkivan, Queensland
Kilkivan is a town in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the Wide Bay Highway, north of the state capital, Brisbane and west of Gympie. At the 2006 census, Kilkivan had a population of 339....
in 1867, when gold was found there. He sold his interests and returned to Scotland in 1870 after the death of his father. He briefly visited France as an observer and assistant in relief efforts after the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
of 1871 before returning to Queensland.
Business and other Activities
In 1871, Burns returned to North Queensland to establish a new trading company in Townsville. He later loaned Robert PhilpRobert Philp
Sir Robert Philp, KCMG was a Queensland businessman and politician who was Premier of Queensland from December 1899 to September 1903 and again from November 1907 to February 1908.-Early life:...
enough money to become a partner in the enterprise. The company thrived through ownership of sail and steam powered trading ships, initially leased to ensure a steady supply of goods between Queensland and Sydney. This formed the basis of the Queensland Steam Shipping Company Limited, later amalgamated into Burns Philp and Company
Burns Philp
Burns Philp was once a major player in the food manufacturing business. Since its delisting from the Australian Stock Exchange in December 2006 and the subsequent sale of its assets, the company has mainly become a cashed up shell company...
, which remains as a major trading company today. The shipping expanded into various ports in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
and the Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
, and the company branched into various trading endeavours throughout the following decades.
In addition to establishing Burns Philp and Company, his business interests include serving as chairman of the (North) Queensland Insurance Co. Ltd in 1886–1923, the New South Wales Mortgage, Land, and Agency Co. and the Solomon Islands Development Co. Ltd. He was also a director of the Australian Mutual Provident Society
AMP Limited
AMP Limited is an Australian financial corporation. It operates primarily in Australia and New Zealand. AMP formed in 1849 as the Australian Mutual Provident Society, a non-profit life insurance company. In 1998 it was demutualised and listed on the Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges...
, the Sydney Exchange Co., the Bank of North Queensland, and various collieries, as well as owning extensive Queensland pastoral properties.
Burns served on a royal commission of inquiry into railway administration in 1906 and was appointed to the Legislative Council of New South Wales in 1908.
He joined the Parramatta troop of the 1st Light Horse Regiment (New South Wales Lancers) as a trooper in June 1891 and was immediately promoted Captain, and became Major in January 1896. From September 1897 to June 1903 he commanded the regiment as its Lieutenant-Colonel. He was promoted to Colonel in July 1903 and commanded the 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade until January 1907, when he retired.
Burns was president of the Caledonian Society for twenty years. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Burns helped establish a scheme for insuring enlisted men with dependants, personally contributing £2000 a year during the duration of the war.
Later life
From the 1880s, Burns was based at a property known as Gowan Brae, North of ParramattaParramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
. He retired from government and business activities due to ill health in 1908, and lived at Gowan Brae from that time on. Shortly afterwards, he approached the Presbyterian Church of Australia
Presbyterian Church of Australia
The Presbyterian Church of Australia is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Australia. .-Beginnings:...
, suggesting that they establish a Presbyterian home for children. In 1910 he endowed some of the Gowan Brae property, to establish the Presbyterian Homes for Children (later renamed Burnside and currently known as UnitingCare Burnside) and was chairman of its board for ten years. It became his passion in his "retired" years, as he made numerous contributions towards new homes and the children. His business and government connections ensured that donations from other sources were also forthcoming, with houses named after sponsors and officially opened by dignitaries.
Burns continued to live at Gowan Brae until his death and was buried there in a family cemetery. He left the property to his son, James, but suggested that, should James not need the property, it should be given to the (then) Burnside Presbyterian Orphans Homes. James honoured this request, and the property was donated.
Much of the land has since been sold or leased to other organisations, or as residential developments. The property immediately around Gowan Brae is now owned by The Kings School
The King's School, Sydney
The King's School is an independent Anglican, day and boarding school for boys in North Parramatta in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831, it is Australia's oldest school and forms one of the nine "Great Public Schools" of New South Wales. Situated within a site, Gowan Brae,...
, while sections of the property are now owned by the Redeemer Baptist School
Redeemer Baptist School
Redeemer Baptist School, commonly known as Redeemer, is a private coeducational school in North Parramatta, Sydney, Australia. It was founded in 1981 to serve the purpose of an educational facility for the church members; however, it later expanded to its Parramatta campus to educate both local and...
and Tara Anglican School for Girls
Tara Anglican School for Girls
Tara Anglican School for Girls is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in North Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, with some still owned by the NSW Synod of the Uniting Church in Australia
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
for Burnside's own operations and the synod's activities such as the archives, Camden Library and the Uniting Theological College.