Thomas McIlwraith

Thomas McIlwraith · Wikipedia (en)

For “Education (University of Glasgow)” FROM 1851 TO 1854 of Thomas McIlwraith

In his youth, McIlwraith had attended the Wallacetown Academy alongside his eldest brother John. ... In his final schooling years, McIlwraith attended Ayr Academy. By 1851, McIlwraith had enrolled at the University of Glasgow at age 16, the first in the family to so. Although McIlwraith studied Greek, Logic, Ethics, and excelled in Mathematics throughout the 1852 to 1854 academic years, he ultimately did not graduate and instead sailed to Victoria, Australia in 1854 after being encouraged by his brothers business success gold mining in the colony during the gold rush.

Secondary. The ADB entry corroborates in weaker terms: 'Thomas's education was fuller than that of John and included a term in arts at the University of Glasgow.'

Thomas McIlwraith · Wikipedia (en)

For “Annexation of eastern New Guinea” 4 APR 1883 of Thomas McIlwraith

The Australian colonies were extremely anxious about German colonial activities in the region, it became clear that the German government was planning to annex eastern New Guinea, to Queensland's north. McIlwraith took the extraordinary step of attempting to annex New Guinea for Queensland; he employed Henry Chester to proclaim the Queen's sovereignty which occurred on 4 April 1883. This was later disallowed by the British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Derby on the basis that a colonial government had no authority to annex other colonies. Indignation at this apparent slight to colonial prerogatives incited the gathering of an Intercolonial Convention in November and December 1883, with federation and annexation on its agenda. This proved to be a first step in the federation movement, and more quickly resulted in the establishment in 1884 of the Federal Council of Australasia. Orders were eventually given to establish British New Guinea as a protectorate on the southern coast of the eastern coast of New Guinea on 6 November 1884.

The ADB entry calls it 'his abortive annexation of eastern New Guinea in 1883'. Place attached to the tree's existing 'New Guinea' row (id 6639).