# Arthur Hunter Palmer

Arthur Hunter Palmer (28 DEC 1819 – 20 MAR 1898); born in Armagh, Armagh, Ireland; with Cecilia Jesse Mosman; parent of 5 children; died in Queensland, Australia.

**Lifespan:** 28 DEC 1819 – 20 MAR 1898

## Partners
- [Cecilia Jesse Mosman](/p/cecilia-jesse-mosman-64914.md)

## Children
- [Arthur Cecil Hunter Palmer](/p/arthur-cecil-hunter-palmer-64946.md)
- [Henry Wyndham Palmer](/p/henry-wyndham-palmer-65159.md)
- [William Dangar Hunter Palmer](/p/william-dangar-hunter-palmer-65161.md)
- [Cecilia Evangeline Hunter Palmer](/p/cecilia-evangeline-hunter-palmer-65162.md)
- [Emily Harriet Palmer](/p/emily-harriet-palmer-65163.md)

## Timeline
- 28 DEC 1819 — **Born** at Armagh, Armagh, Ireland
- 1838 — **Immigrated (Arrival in New South Wales)** at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia — Emigrated from Ireland and arrived at Sydney in 1838 aboard the City of Edinburgh.
- FROM 1840 TO 1863 — **Occupation (Manager, Dangar pastoral holdings)** at New England, New South Wales, Australia — From 1840 managed Henry Dangar's New England pastoral holdings in New South Wales. He was left in charge of all the family's properties and affairs while Dangar and his wife visited England in 1852, and on Dangar's return in 1856 an agreement made him general manager of all the Dangar holdings, which allowed him to accumulate capital and stock. He continued to manage the Dangar affairs until 1863.
- FROM 1863 TO 1897 — **Occupation (Pastoralist, Beaufort Station)** — After failing to obtain suitable land in the Mitchell District, in 1863 leased thirteen runs totalling 900 square miles near the Belyando River in the South Kennedy District, Queensland, and named the station Beaufort. He bought rams at the Darling Downs Sheep Show in July 1864 to improve his stock, and over the years expanded Beaufort and speculated in other land holdings. Beaufort passed from his possession in 1897 after successive financial crises, the application of land Acts to large stations, and his difficulties as a director of the Queensland National Bank. The ADB records his occupation as grazier (sheep).
- 1865 — **Magistrate, Port Curtis District** at Queensland, Australia — Acted as a magistrate in the Port Curtis District, Queensland, from 1865, his first public office.
- FROM 19 MAR 1866 TO 14 NOV 1878 — **Member for Port Curtis, Queensland Legislative Assembly** at Queensland, Australia — Elected in 1866 for Port Curtis in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, aligning himself with the squatter party. He held the seat until 14 November 1878, succeeding John Douglas and being succeeded by Albert Norton.
- FROM 1867 TO 1868 — **Colonial Secretary and Secretary for Public Works, Queensland** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Colonial Secretary and Secretary for Public Works in R. R. Mackenzie's ministry after the fall of the Macalister government in 1867. In this office he initiated stringent economies in the government departments and was criticised by the liberal faction for that retrenchment policy. The ministry fell in November 1868 and he joined the Opposition.
- FROM 3 MAY 1870 TO 7 JAN 1874 — **Premier of Queensland** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Fifth Premier of Queensland, also holding the office of Colonial Secretary. Governor Blackall asked him to form a government when Charles Lilley's ministry fell in May 1870. His ministry survived general elections in September 1870, September 1871 and December 1873. Measures passed under it included the Electoral Redistribution Act, which divided the colony into single-member electorates on the basis of population, and a Homestead Areas Act providing for the resumption of runs in the Darling Downs and Moreton districts for closer settlement. An economic depression in 1870 led him again to adopt a retrenchment policy, which was unpopular with city dwellers. In June 1873 he introduced, as a private member, a bill for free, compulsory and wholly state-supported education; it failed at the second reading with most of his own colleagues voting against it, and he resigned. He was defeated when parliament assembled on 6 January 1874. He was preceded as Premier by Charles Lilley and succeeded by Arthur Macalister.
- FROM 1874 TO 1878 — **Leader of the Opposition, Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Leader of the Opposition in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from his defeat on 6 January 1874. He associated increasingly with Thomas McIlwraith and in 1878 retired as leader in McIlwraith's favour.
- FROM 15 NOV 1878 TO 24 DEC 1881 — **Member for North Brisbane, Queensland Legislative Assembly** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Elected in 1878 for the new seat of North Brisbane in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, which he represented alongside Samuel Griffith. He resigned the seat in December 1881 on being called to the Legislative Council, and was succeeded by William Brookes.
- FROM JAN 1879 TO 1881 — **Colonial Secretary and Secretary for Public Instruction, Queensland** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Appointed in January 1879 Colonial Secretary, Secretary for Public Instruction and President of the Executive Council in Thomas McIlwraith's ministry. For a time in 1879-80 he acted as Premier while McIlwraith was in England negotiating a loan of three million pounds for public works. In 1880 Griffith accused Palmer and McIlwraith of holding shares in McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co., which had the contract to ship steel rails for Queensland railway construction; a royal commission exonerated both in 1881.
- 1881 — **Title (KCMG)** — Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1881, thereafter styled Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer.
- FROM 24 DEC 1881 TO 20 MAR 1898 — **President of the Queensland Legislative Council** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Resigned from the Legislative Assembly in December 1881 and was called to the Queensland Legislative Council, becoming its President on 24 December 1881. He held the presidency, and his seat in the Council, until his death on 20 March 1898.
- FROM 2 MAY 1883 TO 6 NOV 1883 — **Administrator of the Government of Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Administered the government of Queensland as deputy to the Governor in the Governor's absence.
- FROM 20 APR 1886 TO 12 DEC 1886 — **Administrator of the Government of Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Administered the government of Queensland as deputy to the Governor in the Governor's absence.
- FROM 9 OCT 1888 TO 1 MAY 1889 — **Administrator of the Government of Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Administered the government of Queensland as deputy to the Governor in the Governor's absence.
- FROM 16 NOV 1890 TO 6 MAY 1891 — **Administrator of the Government of Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Administered the government of Queensland as deputy to the Governor in the Governor's absence.
- FROM 15 NOV 1895 TO 9 APR 1896 — **Lieutenant-Governor of Queensland** at Queensland, Australia — Served as Lieutenant-Governor of Queensland; the ADB describes him as the first lieutenant-governor of the colony.
- 20 MAR 1898 — **Died** at Queensland, Australia
- **Education (Youghal Grammar School)** at Youghal, Cork, Ireland — Educated at Youghal Grammar School, County Cork, and afterwards by a private tutor in Dublin.
- **Buried** at Toowong, Queensland, Australia — Buried at Toowong Cemetery, Toowong, Brisbane. He died on 20 March 1898 at his home, Easton Gray, Toowong, and left an estate of 23,900 pounds.

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