Alexander Fyfe (1826 – 2 May 1903) was a Scottish-born settler of Victoria, Australia, who became a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Victorian Legislative Council and the Queensland Legislative Assembly.[1]
Alexander Fyfe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Geelong | |
| In office June 1854 – March 1856 | |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Geelong | |
| In office November 1856 – November 1857 | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | George Board |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Rockhampton | |
| In office 20 June 1870 – 24 November 1873 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Milford |
| Succeeded by | Charles Buzacott |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander Fyfe 1826 Scotland |
| Died | 1903 (aged 75–76) Preston, Victoria, Australia |
| Resting place | Coburg Cemetery |
| Occupation | Pastoralist, Ironmonger's assistant |
Early life
editFyfe was born in Scotland. Fyfe emigrated to Australia, arriving in Melbourne in January 1848 aboard the Stag[2] and settled in Geelong.[1] He married Jane Nicholson Bailliff in 1854.[3]
In Geelong, he was involved in the establishment of the:[4]
- first building society
- the first bathing house
- the Geelong Chamber of Commerce
- the fire brigade
- a newspaper
- the Mechanic's Institute
- the first regatta (he owned four full-rigged vessels and chartered eleven more)
He was president of the:
- Mechanic's Institute
- the first cricket club in Victoria
- Geelong Agricultural Society
and a director/trustee of:
and captain of the first volunteer regiment.[4]
Alexander Fyfe was one of the first gold diggers at Ballarat. He was secretary of the Anti-Gold License Committee[5] and contributed to legal expenses of the trial of Peter Lalor, the leader of the Eureka Rebellion[4]
Politics
editFyfe was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for Geelong in June 1854,[6] a position he held until the original Council was abolished in 1856.[1]
Fyfe was elected to the inaugural Victorian Legislative Assembly as one of the four members for Geelong in November 1856, a seat he held until resigning in November 1857 due to insolvency.[1]
Fyfe moved to Queensland where he purchased a pastoral property from P. F. MacDonald near Peak Downs[4] and became a pastoralist and auctioneer. He represented Rockhampton in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 20 June 1870 to 24 November 1873.[2]
Latter life
editFyfe returned to Melbourne around 1873 and died in Preston, Victoria on 2 May 1903.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Alexander Fyfe". Re-Member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
- ^ a b Fyfe, Alexander; Government of Queensland. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ Record information from https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/research-and-family-history/search-your-family-history Event:marriages Registration number2040 / 1854 Family name:FYFE Given name(s)Alexander Personal detail Spouse's family name:BAILIFF Spouse's given name(s)Jane Nicholson
- ^ a b c d "Death of Mr A Fyfe". The Morning Bulletin. 12 May 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via Trove.
- ^ "Anit-gold license committee". Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer. 14 September 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via Trove.
- ^ "The Election. Declaration of the Poll". Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer. 26 June 1854. p. 4. Retrieved 24 August 2014 – via Trove.