Archer, Archibald
Personal
Birth Date:
13 March 1820 (Fife)
Death Date:
10 February 1902 (London)
Parents:
William Archer and Julia (nee Walker)
Education:
Educated in Perth, Scotland, and in Norway
Religion:
Church of England
Career
Worked five years with an engineering firm in Scotland; Pursued a career as a coffee and sugar planter in the South Sea and Sandwich Islands in 1842; Joined his brothers on their pastoral property `Gracemere' in 1860
Parliamentary Representation
| House | Party | Electorate | From | To | Elected/Departure Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | IND | Rockhampton | 27 Jul 1867 | 19 Nov 1869 | By-election |
| Assembly | IND | Blackall | 28 Nov 1878 | 23 Jan 1886 | |
| Assembly | IND | Rockhampton | 5 May 1888 | 4 Apr 1896 | Retired |
Parliamentary Service
| Description | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Colonial Treasurer and Secretary for Public Instruction | 5 Jan 1882 | 13 Nov 1883 |
| Agent-General for Queensland | 1870 |
Additional Information
Notes:
The Archer brothers became renowned explorers and graziers who were responsible for opening up large tracts of land in Queensland. Charles and William discovered and named the Fitzroy River in 1853 and in 1854, with Colin, explored the Peak Downs district. The family partnership took up land in the Fitzroy valley and first occupied it in 1855. The city of Rockhampton now stands on part of the orginal `Gracemere' run. Gracemere homestead, built in 1858, remains in the ownership of the Archer family and is now listed by the National Trust. As a member of the Central Queensland Territorial Separation League, he renewed his fight for the separation of the central region. In 1890 he introduced a motion into the parliament to that effect but was defeated 34 votes to 19. The CQTSL sent Archibald and John Ferguson (a former Rockhampton member) to London to argue the cause, but they were unsuccessful. In September 1894, Archibald was appointed to a parliamentary committee which investigated the friction between the three railway commissioners. Its report recommended placing the department under one commissioner. Prior to Archibald's retirement from parliament in 1896, he had promised his constituents that the Winton railway extension would not be brought before the House during the session of 1895. However, the Nelson government successfully pushed the proposal through the parliament. Feeling betrayed, Archibald retired to London, where he died, unmarried
Sources:
Image courtesy of John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland; The Queenslander Illustrated Supplement, `The Late Archibald Archer', 8 March 1902; OKeeffe, Mary, Archer, Archibald (1820-1902), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 22-23; Waterson, DB, Biographical Register of the Queensland Parliament: 1860-1929, 2nd revised edition (Sydney: Casket Publications, 2001)
[Last Modified: Tuesday, 08 December 2015]