# Maurice Charles O'Connell

Maurice Charles O'Connell (13 JAN 1812 – 23 MAR 1879); child of Maurice Charles Philip O'Connell and Mary I Bligh; born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; died in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

**Lifespan:** 13 JAN 1812 – 23 MAR 1879

## Parents
- [Maurice Charles Philip O'Connell](/p/maurice-charles-philip-o-connell-50106.md) (father)
- [Mary I Bligh](/p/mary-i-bligh-50095.md) (mother)

## Partners
- _unknown partner_

## Timeline
- 13 JAN 1812 — **Born** at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- FROM 1819 TO 1828 — **Education** at 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.
- FROM 1828 TO 1835 — **Ensign, 73rd Regiment of Foot** — 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.
- FROM 1835 TO 1837 — **Lieutenant-Colonel, 10th Munster Light Infantry, British Auxiliary Legion** at 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.
- 1837 — **General of Brigade, British Auxiliary Legion** at 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.
- 1837 — **Title (Knight Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic)** — 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.
- 22 JUN 1838 — **Captain, 28th Regiment of Foot** — 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.
- FROM AUG 1845 TO JUN 1848 — **Member for Port Phillip, New South Wales Legislative Council** at 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.
- FROM NOV 1848 TO 1853 — **Occupation (Commissioner of Crown Lands, Burnett District)** — 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.
- FROM JAN 1854 TO FEB 1860 — **Government Resident, Port Curtis** at 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.
- 1859 — **Colonel-Commandant, Queensland Volunteers** at 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.
- FROM 1 MAY 1860 TO 23 MAR 1879 — **Member of the Queensland Legislative Council** at 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.
- FROM 27 AUG 1860 TO 23 MAR 1879 — **President of the Queensland Legislative Council** at 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.
- 1868 — **Title (Knighthood)** — 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.
- FROM 4 JAN 1868 TO 14 AUG 1868 — **Administrator of the Government of Queensland** at 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.
- FROM 2 JAN 1871 TO 12 AUG 1871 — **Administrator of the Government of Queensland** at 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.
- FROM 12 NOV 1874 TO 23 JAN 1875 — **Administrator of the Government of Queensland** at 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.
- FROM 14 MAR 1877 TO 10 APR 1877 — **Administrator of the Government of Queensland** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — Fourth and last term administering the government of Queensland as president of the Legislative Council, lasting less than a month.
- 23 MAR 1879 — **Died** at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- **Buried** at Toowong, Queensland, Australia
- **Minister without Portfolio, first Herbert Ministry** at 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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