# James Tolmie

James Tolmie (25 JUL 1862 – 5 APR 1939); child of Helen McRea; born in Queensland, Australia; died in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.

**Lifespan:** 25 JUL 1862 – 5 APR 1939

## Parents
- [Helen McRea](/p/helen-mcrea-68264.md) (mother)

## Timeline
- 25 JUL 1862 — **Born** at Queensland, Australia
- TO 1875 — **Education (South Toowoomba State School)** at Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia — Educated at the South Toowoomba state school (Toowoomba South Boys') until the age of thirteen.
- FROM 1877 TO 1894 — **Occupation (Schoolteacher)** at Queensland, Australia — Began as a pupil-teacher at Toowoomba South in 1877 after working as a grocer's assistant, and taught at Toowoomba South Boys', Fortitude Valley and Emu Creek schools before becoming head teacher at Gowrie Creek near Toowoomba in 1884. He resigned from the teaching service on 31 August 1894.
- FROM 1894 TO 1922 — **Occupation (Newspaper proprietor)** at Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia — Editor and half-owner of the Toowoomba newspaper the Darling Downs Gazette from 1894 until its merger with the Toowoomba Chronicle in 1922. He also helped establish the Darling Downs Building Society and was one of its directors.
- FROM 22 JUN 1901 TO 18 MAY 1907 — **Member for Drayton and Toowoomba, Queensland Legislative Assembly** at Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia — Won the two-member Darling Downs seat of Drayton and Toowoomba at a by-election on 22 June 1901, sitting first as an Independent and from 11 March 1902 as a Ministerialist. He was defeated at the election of 18 May 1907.
- FROM 2 OCT 1909 TO 27 APR 1912 — **Member for Drayton and Toowoomba, Queensland Legislative Assembly** at Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia — Regained the seat of Drayton and Toowoomba on 2 October 1909 as a Ministerialist, having failed to win it back in 1908. He held it until the electorate was redistributed in April 1912.
- FROM 7 FEB 1911 TO 11 DEC 1912 — **Secretary for Agriculture and Stock, Queensland** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Held the agriculture and stock portfolio in the Liberal ministry of D. F. Denham.
- FROM 27 APR 1912 TO 16 MAR 1918 — **Member for Toowoomba, Queensland Legislative Assembly** at Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia — Sat for the single-member seat of Toowoomba as a Liberal from 27 April 1912. He lost the seat at the general election of 16 March 1918.
- FROM 11 DEC 1912 TO 1 JUN 1915 — **Secretary for Public Lands, Queensland** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Held the public lands portfolio in the Denham ministry until the government's defeat in 1915.
- FROM 8 SEP 1915 TO 29 MAY 1918 — **Leader of the Opposition, Queensland** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Led the Opposition after the defeat of the Denham government. He resigned the leadership shortly before the 1918 election because of illness.
- FROM FEB 1916 TO JUN 1916 — **Australian Imperial Force** at Queensland, Australia — After nine years in the Queensland Volunteer Defence Force and service as a captain in the 4th Queensland Regiment, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in February 1916 at the age of 53 and served as a troopship major, commanding troops in transport to and from Egypt. His appointment was terminated in June 1916.
- FROM 1924 TO 1927 — **Alderman, Toowoomba City Council** at Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia — Served one term as an alderman of the Toowoomba City Council after leaving state parliament.
- APR 1939 — **Buried** at Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia — Buried in the Drayton and Toowoomba cemetery. He never married and left an estate sworn for probate at 4343 pounds.
- 5 APR 1939 — **Died** at Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

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