Beattie, Francis
Personal
Birth Date:
29 August 1829 (Dunfries)
Death Date:
16 April 1886 (Brisbane, Queensland)
Parents:
Francis Beattie and Susannah (nee Hannah)
Family:
Janet Ross in Brisbane in 1850, 5 sons, 5 daughters
Education:
Carlisle, Cumberland
Religion:
Church of England
Career
Sailor as a boy. Became pilot at Port Phillip; Worked as a hatter in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane; Superintendent, Brisbane Fire Brigade, 1870 to 1882; Chairman, Booroodabin Divisional Board; President, Joint Board of the United Municipality
Local Government Service:
Represented Fortitude Valley Ward as alderman of Brisbane, 1868 to 1871 and East Ward, 1873 to 1874
Parliamentary Representation
| House | Party | Electorate | From | To | Elected/Departure Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | NONE | Fortitude Valley | 25 Feb 1874 | 26 Nov 1878 | By-election |
| Assembly | NONE | Fortitude Valley | 28 May 1879 | 16 Apr 1886 | Died in office |
Additional Information
Notes:
As a young man he sailed to New Zealand. In 1849, after a disturbance among the crew on the vessel the captain refused to proceed so Beattie took charge and navigated the vessel to Port Phillip. For some time after he served as a pilot at Port Phillip. Later Beattie lived in Sydney. At the time of the Canoona rush he successfully sailed to Keppel Bay and later visited Brisbane. It was not until 1862 that Beattie finally settled in Brisbane, arriving on the steamer Maryborough. Beattie was a community minded man as evidenced by his involvement in the fire brigade, in the Grand United Order of Oddfellows, in local government and in politics. He was untiring in his endeavours to serve the citizens of his area well. It is said that although his zeal may be misdirect one could never question his desire to do what he believed to be right. It is noted that even those who did not agree with his point of view when it came to the government's proposed Valley railway scheme respected the manly stance he took. He was strongly opposed to the proposal given his service as chairman of the Booroodabin Divisional Board. His views led to a strong push to unseat him from the seat of Fortitude Valley. This affected Beattie's health. When in parliament Beattie exercised an amount of influence. He was respected by those on both sides of the House
Sources:
Waterson, DB, A Biographical Register of the Queensland Parliament: 1860-1929, 2nd revised edition (Sydney: Casket Publications, 2001); Brisbane Courier, 17 April 1886
[Last Modified: Tuesday, 06 June 2017]