Thorn, George (Jnr)
Personal
Birth Date:
12 October 1838 (Sydney, New South Wales)
Death Date:
15 January 1905 (Booval, Queensland)
Parents:
George Thorn and Jane (nee Hancock)
Family:
Celia Constance Maud Uniacke at Ellengowan on 14 February 1878, 2 sons
Education:
King's School, Parramatta; University of Sydney (BA, 1858)
Religion:
Church of England
Career
Gained pastoral experience managing his father's properties on the Darling Downs, 1859-1867
Parliamentary Representation
| House | Party | Electorate | From | To | Elected/Departure Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | NONE | West Moreton | 18 Jun 1867 | 4 Nov 1873 | |
| Assembly | NONE | Fassifern | 4 Nov 1873 | 9 Jan 1874 | |
| Assembly | NONE | Ipswich | 20 Jun 1876 | 18 Feb 1878 | By-election |
| Assembly | NONE | Northern Downs | 17 Apr 1879 | 7 Sep 1883 | By-election |
| Assembly | NONE | Fassifern | 4 Aug 1887 | 10 May 1888 | By-election |
| Assembly | NONE | Fassifern | 4 Apr 1893 | 11 Mar 1902 | |
| Council | NONE | Legislative Council | 9 Jan 1874 | 16 Jun 1876 |
Parliamentary Service
| Description | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary for Public Lands and Mines | 7 Nov 1877 | 6 Feb 1878 |
| Secretary for Public Works | 8 Mar 1877 | 7 Nov 1877 |
| Premier, Postmaster-General and Secretary for Public Works and Mines | 5 Jun 1876 | 8 Mar 1877 |
| Postmaster-General and Representative of Government in Legislative Council | 9 Jan 1874 | 5 Jun 1876 |
Additional Information
Notes:
In 1874, Thorn was a Queensland delegate to the International Conference on Overseas Cables in Sydney; Thorn became Premier on 5 June 1876 after Arthur Macalister resigned to take up an appointment as Agent-General in London. He found it difficult to lead the colony as a member of the Legislative Council, so he resigned on 13 June 1876 and on 23 June 1876 won the seat of Ipswich; Thorn resigned as Premier on 8 March 1877 but continued as Secretary for Public Works and Mines under John Douglas's leadership. During Thorn's period as Premier, his ministry was not taken seriously because Samuel Griffith was seen as the power behind the throne. Six days after marrying Celia at Ellengowan (now Augathella) on 14 February 1878, Thorn resigned his seat of Ipswich and spent the rest of the year travelling in Europe and represented Queensland at the Paris Universal Exhibition. In 1900, Thorn was a member of the Royal Commission into Liquor Traffic
Sources:
Image courtesy of John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, 1876, Neg: 63552; Waterson, DB, Biographical Register of the Queensland Parliament: 1860-1929, 2nd revised edition (Sydney: Casket Publications, 2001); Haenke, Helen, 'Thorn, George (1806 - 1876)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6, Melbourne University Press, 1976, pp 272-273
[Last Modified: Tuesday, 25 July 2017]