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Son of Thomas Cockburn, was
born at Corsbie, Berwickshire, Scotland, on 23 August 1850. Educated at
Chomeley School, Highgate, and King's College, London, he obtained the
degree of M.D. London, with first class honours and gold medal. He
emigrated to South Australia in 1875 and, practising at Jamestown, began
to take an interest in municipal affairs, and in 1877 was elected mayor of
the town. In 1884 he entered politics as member for Burra in the house of
assembly, and in the following year became minister for education in the
first Downer (q.v.) ministry, which resigned in June 1887. Cockburn had
been elected for Mount Barker at the April 1887 general election and held
this seat for 11 years. He became premier and chief secretary on 27 June
1889, and though only in office for 14 months passed some progressive
measures including acts providing for succession duties and land taxation.
After two years in opposition Cockburn became chief secretary in Holder's
(q.v.) cabinet in June 1892, but this ministry was defeated a few weeks
later. He joined the Kingston (q.v.) ministry on 16 June 1893 as minister
for education and for agriculture and held these portfolios until April
1898, when he resigned to become agent-general for South Australia at
London. He took an important part in the federation movement. With
Playford (q.v.) he represented South Australia at the Melbourne conference
in 1890, and he was one of its seven representatives at the Sydney
convention held in 1891. When the election of to delegates to represent
South Australia was held in 1897 there were 33 candidates and Cockburn
came third on the poll after Kingston and Holder. A collection of his
articles and speeches on federation was published in London in 1901 under
the title Australian Federation. As agent-general he did very good
work, but he resigned in 1901 and never returned to South Australia,
though he continued to show his interest in that state in every possible
way. He represented Australia at workmen's insurance, eugenics, and other
congresses held in the early years of this century, and he took much
interest in nature study, in child study, and in the London school of
economies and political science. He wrote various articles and pamphlets
on Australian, Imperial and educational subjects, and was on the London
board of directors of several Australian companies. He died at London on
26 November 1929. He married in 1875 Sarah Holdway, daughter of Forbes
Scott Brown, who survived him with a son and a daughter. He was created
K.C.M.G. in 1900.
A picturesque and charming
figure, Cockburn had a long and busy life of which only 23 years were
spent in Australia. As minister of education he instituted arbor day in
South Australia, and had much to do with the foundation of the South
Australian school of mines and industries. He had an alert and
quick-moving mind, and as a politician he was able to sympathize with the
demands of a growing democracy. He worked for payment of members of
parliament, for women's suffrage, and in addition to legislation for which
he was personally responsible, he was often the inspiration for advanced
legislation which was brought into being by other men. |
