Maurice Charles O'Connell

Maurice Charles O'Connell
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1812 – 1879 67 years

Born 13 January 1812 in Sydney, New South WalesDied 23 March 1879 in Brisbane, Queensland, aged 67

Left the New South Wales Legislative Council on 7 November 1848 on being appointed a commissioner for crown lands beyond the settled districts of the colony, in the Burnett district. In 1853 he was asked to undertake the settlement of Port Curtis.

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Family

Parents

MO Maurice Charles Philip O'Connell 1766–1848 father MB Mary I Bligh 1783–1864 mother

Partner

? Unknown spouse

Places 16 locations

BirthEducationOtherDeath / burial

Timeline

1810s
Born 13 January 1812

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Education 1819–1828 aged 7

Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Sent from Ceylon to Europe in 1819 to be educated: first at Dr Pinkney's school at East Sheen, then at the High School, Edinburgh, and afterwards at Dublin and Paris, where he was for a time a military student at the college of Charlemagne.

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1820s
Ensign, 73rd Regiment of Foot 1828–1835 aged 16

Entered the British Army in 1828 as an ensign in the 73rd Regiment of Foot. Served three years at Gibraltar and Malta, then went with the regiment to Jersey in 1831, acting as its adjutant until 1835. Promoted lieutenant on 24 January 1834.

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1830s
Lieutenant-Colonel, 10th Munster Light Infantry, British Auxiliary Legion 1835–1837 aged 23

Spain

In 1835 obtained leave to raise in Ireland a regiment of the British Legion for service in Spain, and was placed on half-pay on 24 July. Gazetted lieutenant-colonel of that regiment, the 10th Munster Light Infantry, he embarked with it in September to take service under Queen Isabella against Don Carlos in the Carlist wars.

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General of Brigade, British Auxiliary Legion 1837 aged 25

Spain

Led his regiment for nearly two years and fought several engagements with the Carlists, becoming in turn colonel and deputy adjutant-general of the British Legion and then general of brigade, the senior rank he reached. The Legion was disbanded at San Sebastian in 1837.

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Title (Knight Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic) 1837 aged 25

On the disbanding of the British Auxiliary Legion he returned to England decorated with three Spanish orders: knight commander of Isabella the Catholic, knight of San Fernando, and knight extraordinary of Charles III.

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Captain, 28th Regiment of Foot 22 June 1838 aged 26

Attached to the 51st Regiment on his return to England, then appointed captain in the 28th Regiment on 22 June 1838. He accompanied the 28th to New South Wales, where it served under the command of his father, to whom he became military secretary.

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1840s
Member for Port Phillip, New South Wales Legislative Council from August 1845 to June 1848 aged 33

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

After failing at a first attempt to win a seat, he represented Port Phillip in the New South Wales Legislative Council from August 1845 to June 1848.

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Death of father Maurice Charles Philip O'Connell 25 May 1848 aged 36

aged 81
Occupation (Commissioner of Crown Lands, Burnett District) from November 1848 to 1853 aged 36

Left the New South Wales Legislative Council on 7 November 1848 on being appointed a commissioner for crown lands beyond the settled districts of the colony, in the Burnett district. In 1853 he was asked to undertake the settlement of Port Curtis.

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1850s
Government Resident, Port Curtis from January 1854 to February 1860 aged 42

Gladstone, Queensland, Australia

Appointed government resident of the new Port Curtis settlement in January 1854, and at the same time commissioner of crown lands and police magistrate. While at Gladstone he acquired several squatting properties and developed a small copper-mine. The office was abolished in February 1860.

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Colonel-Commandant, Queensland Volunteers 1859 aged 47

Queensland, Australia

Given command of the volunteer forces when the colony of Queensland was created in 1859, holding the position of colonel-commandant of the Queensland volunteers.

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1860s
Member of the Queensland Legislative Council from 1 May 1860 to 23 March 1879 aged 48

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Sat in the Queensland Legislative Council, the colony's appointed upper house, from 1 May 1860 until his death on 23 March 1879. He had been nominated to the first council on the creation of the colony in 1859.

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President of the Queensland Legislative Council from 27 August 1860 to 23 March 1879 aged 48

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Succeeded Sir Charles Nicholson as President of the Queensland Legislative Council on Nicholson's resignation, and held the office until his death in 1879. He was succeeded by Sir Joshua Peter Bell. As president he acted ex officio as deputy to the governor four times.

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Death of mother Mary I Bligh 4 December 1864 aged 52

Gloucestershire, Englandaged 81
Title (Knighthood) 1868 aged 56

Knighted in 1868. A knighthood had been proposed for him in 1864 but was not granted until 1868, when as administrator of the government of Queensland he was host to the Duke of Edinburgh.

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Administrator of the Government of Queensland from 4 January 1868 to 14 August 1868 aged 55

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Administered the government of Queensland as president of the Legislative Council in the interregnum after the departure of Governor Sir George Bowen. During this term he entertained the Duke of Edinburgh, and was knighted.

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1870s
Administrator of the Government of Queensland from 2 January 1871 to 12 August 1871 aged 58

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Second term administering the government of Queensland as president of the Legislative Council, following the death in office of Governor Colonel Blackall.

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Administrator of the Government of Queensland from 12 November 1874 to 23 January 1875 aged 62

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Third term administering the government of Queensland as president of the Legislative Council, after the departure of the Marquis of Normanby to New Zealand.

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Administrator of the Government of Queensland from 14 March 1877 to 10 April 1877 aged 65

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Fourth and last term administering the government of Queensland as president of the Legislative Council, lasting less than a month.

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Undated
Minister without Portfolio, first Herbert Ministry

Queensland, Australia

One of the first nominees to the Queensland Legislative Council on the creation of the colony, he acted as minister without portfolio in the first Herbert ministry. No date is recorded here because the sources consulted do not agree on the exact months.

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1870s
Died 23 March 1879 aged 67

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Buried aged 67

Toowong, Queensland, Australia