Thomas McWhannell

Thomas McWhannell (17 March 1844 – 17 March 1888) was a politician and sheep grazier in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for the Gregory District (1882–1888).[1]

Early life

McWhannell was born 17 March 1844 at Lochearnhead, Perthshire, Scotland, to sheep farmers Duncan and Jean McWhannell. He was Presbyterian. He attended secondary school at Perth Academy and was educated further at Andersonian University, Glasgow.[2]

He arrived in Queensland with his brother James Cooper McWhannell in 1861.[3]

He married Jessie McWhannell (née Morgan) 12 March 1979 at All Saints Church, Petersham, New South Wales.[4] They had one son, Rodney(1881–1954), and two daughters, Isobel and Jessie.[3]

McWhannell's brother James married McWhannell's wife's sister Fanny.[5]

Pastorlist

McWhannell and his brother were squatters before purchasing the following properties as sheep graziers: Rodney Downs at Aramac (70,000 sheep), and Headingly, Undilla, Stoney Plains and Oban on the Barkly Tableland (35,000–40,000 sheep).[3][6]

Politics

On 20 February 1882, Charles Lumley Hill, the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Gregory, resigned. McWhannell won the resulting by-election unopposed on 21 March 1882. He retained his seat in the 1883 election (again unopposed) and held it until his death on 21 March 1888.[2][7] His death did not trigger a by-election as the 1888 election was to be held in April–May 1888.

He was also President of the Graziers Association.[3] He was the first Chairman of the Aramac Divisional Board.[8][9]

Later life

In January 1888, McWhannell indicated he would retire from politics due to ill health.[10] In February 1888 he was in Sydney staying at the home of his mother-in-law receiving medical treatments for kidney disease and dropsy in his feet.[11]

McWhannell died 17 March 1888 in Ashfield, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.[2][12] He was buried in the Anglican section of the Waverley Cemetery in Sydney.[13] His wife Jessie remained in Sydney and died at Strathfield on 21 August 1927; she was buried with her husband in Waverley Cemetery.[13][14][15]

McWhannell was described as a man of "shrewd commensense and quiet but firm expression of the opinions he held".[16]

Legacy

McWhannell Street in Aramac is named after him.[17]

See also

References
  1. "Part 2.15 – Alphabetical Register of Members of the Legislative Assembly 1860–2017 and the Legislative Council 1860–1922" (PDF). Queensland Parliamentary Record 2015–2017: The 55th Parliament. Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Former members register". Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  3. "eHive". Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  4. "Family Notices". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. Vol. XXVII, no. 977. New South Wales, Australia. 22 March 1879. p. 445. Retrieved 18 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Old Queensland Identity". The Longreach Leader. Vol. 21, no. 1112. Queensland, Australia. 24 July 1943. p. 10. Retrieved 18 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Obituary - Thomas Rodney McWhannell - Obituaries Australia". oa.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  7. "NEWS OF THE DAY". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser. No. 4039. Queensland, Australia. 20 March 1888. p. 2. Retrieved 19 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Aramac Shire Council". The Longreach Leader. Queensland, Australia. 6 December 1939. p. 10. Retrieved 18 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Aramac was once local authority capital of Central West". The Longreach Leader. Queensland, Australia. 13 December 1950. p. 35. Retrieved 18 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "Local and General News". The Western Champion. Vol. IX, no. 448. Queensland, Australia. 17 January 1888. p. 2. Retrieved 19 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "The Morning Bulletin, ROCKHAMPTON". Morning Bulletin. Vol. XL, no. 7059. Queensland, Australia. 23 February 1888. p. 4. Retrieved 19 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Family Notices". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XLIV, no. 9, 419. Queensland, Australia. 23 March 1888. p. 4. Retrieved 19 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. Ancestry.com. Sydney, Australia, Cemetery Headstone Transcriptions, 1837–2003 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, US: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
  14. "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 27, 965. New South Wales, Australia. 22 August 1927. p. 9. Retrieved 19 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "OBITUARY". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 27, 968. New South Wales, Australia. 25 August 1927. p. 12. Retrieved 19 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. "Death of Mr. Mc Whannell, M.L.A." Warwick Examiner And Times. Vol. XXII, no. 1454. Queensland, Australia. 21 March 1888. p. 3. Retrieved 19 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "History of Aramac, QLD". Archived from the original on 19 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
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