Arthur Hunter Palmer

Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer KCMG
5th Premier of Queensland
In office 3 May 1870 – 7 January 1874
Preceded by	Charles Lilley
Succeeded by	Arthur Macalister
Personal details
Born	(1819-12-28)28 December 1819 Armagh, Co. Armagh, Ireland, UK
Died	20 March 1898(1898-03-20) (aged 78) Toowong, Brisbane, Queensland
Spouse(s)	Cecilia Mosman

Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer KCMG (28 December 1819 – 20 March 1898) was an Irish-Australian politician and a Premier of Queensland.

Life

Palmer was born in Armagh, Ireland, the son of Lieutenant Arthur Palmer, R.N., and his wife, Emily née Hunter.^[1] Palmer was educated at Youghal^[2] Grammar School and a private tutor in Dublin.^[1] Palmer emigrated to New South Wales in 1838, arriving in Sydney on the City of Edinburgh. Palmer worked for many years for Henry Cary Dangar on his New England stations, eventually becoming general manager of all Dangar's holdings.^[1] Palmer went to Queensland and took up land, acting as a magistrate in 1865.^[1]

In 1866, Palmer was elected to Parliament as member for Port Curtis in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.^[1] On 2 August 1867 he became colonial secretary and secretary for public works in the R. R. Mackenzie ministry, and in September 1868 secretary for public lands. Mackenzie resigned on 25 November 1868 and Palmer went into opposition. On 3 May 1870 Palmer became premier and colonial secretary, and in July 1873 secretary for public works. Palmer's ministry was defeated on 6 January 1874.^[1] During his term of office acts were passed which led to much development on account of new railways. Palmer was colonial secretary and secretary for public instruction in the McIlwraith ministry which came into power in January 1879, but resigned these positions on 24 December 1881 to become president of the Queensland Legislative Council. Palmer remained in that position until his death. He became Lieutenant Governor of Queensland in 1893.^[2]

On several occasions Palmer was administrator of the government between 1881 and 1898. He died at Toowong, Queensland, after a long illness.

Family

Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer's headstone at Brisbane's Toowong Cemetery.

He married in 1865 Miss Cecilia J. Mosman, who died in 1885, and was survived by three sons and two daughters. He was created K.C.M.G. in 1881.

References

Sources

• Serle, Percival (1949). "Palmer, Arthur Hunter". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson. 
•  Carlyle, Edward Irving (1901). "Palmer, Arthur Hunter". In Sidney Lee. Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement​. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arthur Hunter Palmer.

• Palmer, Sir Arthur Hunter — Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search

v t e Premiers of Queensland Robert Herbert Arthur Macalister Robert Mackenzie Charles Lilley Arthur Hunter Palmer George Thorn John Douglas Thomas McIlwraith Samuel Griffith Boyd Dunlop Morehead Hugh Nelson Thomas Joseph Byrnes James Robert Dickson Anderson Dawson Robert Philp Arthur Morgan William Kidston Digby Denham T. J. Ryan Ted Theodore William Gillies William McCormack Arthur Edward Moore William Forgan Smith Frank Cooper Ned Hanlon Vince Gair Frank Nicklin Jack Pizzey Gordon Chalk Joh Bjelke-Petersen Mike Ahern Russell Cooper Wayne Goss Rob Borbidge Peter Beattie Anna Bligh Campbell Newman