Cowlishaw, James
Personal
Birth Date:
19 December 1834 (Sydney, New South Wales)
Death Date:
25 July 1929 (Brisbane, Queensland)
Parents:
Thomas Cowlishaw and Maria (nee Evans)
Family:
Charlotte Owen in West Maitland c.1862, 3 sons, 3 daughters
Education:
St James's Grammar School, Sydney
Religion:
Methodist
Career
Apprenticed to a chemist in Sydney; Clerk for a Sydney auctioneer; Worked in a scheme to supply Sydney with water; Prospected at the Turon goldfields; Worked Victorian Treasury; Returned to Sydney to study architecture; Went to Brisbane about 1860 to work as an architect; Involved in management of several businesses; Founder, Brisbane Gas Co. in 1864; Director, Brisbane Courier, 1870 to 1873; Managing director, Brisbane Telegraph in 1878; Chairman, Telegraph Newspaper Co., December 1879 to May 1885
Parliamentary Representation
| House | Party | Electorate | From | To | Elected/Departure Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council | NONE | Legislative Council | 18 Apr 1878 | 23 Mar 1922 | Council abolished |
Additional Information
Notes:
One of Thomas Cowlishaw's most important architectural works was the erection of Government House in Sydney. In 1860 Cowlishaw travelled to Brisbane and established himself as Brisbane's first successful private architect. In 1862 he was appointed building surveyor to the Queensland Insurance Co. Founder, Brisbane Gas Co.,1864. He was the company's first auditor in 1869 to 1873 and then served as a director for nearly 47 years. From 1879 to 1920 he was chairman of the company. During Brisbane's general strike of 1912, when the gas supply was threatened, he led several deputations to the Premier to avert immediate trouble. James also acquired a large interest in the Queensland Trustees Ltd. In the 1920s he was described as `the last of the old Conservative Party. He was opposed to Federation, the Labor Party and `anything that savoured of socialism'. Member, Royal commission appointed to inquire into the Public Works Department,1900. He was the architect of the first Fortitude Valley Wesleyan Church (1866-1870). Member, Advisory Committee of the Brisbane Children's Hospital. He was a justice of the peace and sat on the bench of the Brisbane police court. He also helped to start Brisbane's first cricket club
Sources:
Watson, Donald, McKay, Judith, Queensland Architects of the 19th century: A Biographical Dictionary, (Queensland Museum, 1994); Brisbane Courier, 7 January 1913; Phillips, Nan, O'Neill, Sally, 'Cowlishaw, James (1834 - 1929)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3, Melbourne University Press, 1969, p. 475; Waterson, DB, Biographical Register of the Queensland Parliament: 1860-1929, 2nd revised edition (Sydney: Casket Publications, 2001)
[Last Modified: Tuesday, 20 June 2017]