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Son of John McIlwraith, was
born at Ayr, Scotland, in 1835. He was educated at Ayr academy and the
university of Glasgow, where he studied civil engineering. He emigrated to
Victoria in 1854 and obtained a position as a civil engineer in the
railways department, and afterwards with Messrs Cornish and Bruce, railway
contractors. In 1862, having acquired interests in pastoral property in
the Maronoa district, he went to Queensland, and in 1868 was elected as
representative of that constituency in the legislative assembly. In
January 1874 he became secretary for public works and mines in the third
Macalister (q.v.) ministry but resigned in the following October. In
January 1879 he formed a ministry in which he was premier and successively
colonial treasurer and colonial secretary, at a time when the colony was
emerging from a depression brought on by three bad seasons. The year
1878-9 closed with a serious deficit, but McIlwraith, helped by good
seasons and partly by loan expenditure, brought about an increase in
revenue which turned the deficit into a surplus. Immigrants too were
pouring in and the colony was developing very rapidly. The population,
however' in 1883 was still under 300,000 scattered over a very large area,
and the necessity for some general system of local government led to the
passing of the divisional boards act. Another important event was the
establishment of the British India postal service via Torres Strait but
what caused most stir was the annexation of New Guinea carried out under
McIlwraith's instructions on 4 April 1883. This met with general approval
in Australia, but was disallowed by Lord Derby the secretary of state for
the colonies. The result was that the way was left open to Germany to
annex a large part of the island. But the incident brought home to the
Australian colonies, how hampered they were in making representations to
the British government by the absence of any central authority that could
speak with one voice for all of them. The executive council of Queensland
in July 1883 decided to invite the home government to inaugurate a federal
movement. Service (q.v.), the Victorian premier, however, took the more
practical step of proposing that an inter-colonial conference should be
held, which accordingly took place at the end of November. This was the
first real step in the direction of federation, with which McIlwraith was
warmly in sympathy. His ministry was defeated in November 1883, on the
question of his proposal to construct the Queensland portion of a
trans-continental railway line on a land grant system. McIlwraith had been
made a K.C.M.G. in 1882 and in 1884 visited Great Britain, where he was
given the freedom of his native town, and Glasgow university conferred on
him the honorary degree of LL.D.
McIlwraith temporarily
retired from politics in 1886 but in 1888 was elected for Brisbane North.
His party had a majority, and on 13 June 1888 he formed his second
ministry with the portfolios of premier and colonial treasurer. Failing
health obliged hint to resign these positions in November, though he was
able to be a minister without portfolio in the Morehead (q.v.) government
formed at the end of that month. During his short term of office he came
into conflict with the governor, Sir Anthony Musgrave, on the question
whether in the exercise of the prerogative of mercy the governor must
accept the advice of his advisors, or use his own judgment. The colonial
office supported McIlwraith's contention that the first course must be
followed. When the governor died in October McIlwraith represented to the
home authorities that his government should be consulted before Musgrave's
succcessor was appointed. Lord Knutsford refused to agree to this and
appointed Sir Harry Blake. McIlwraith protested on behalf of his
government, and the matter was only settled for the time being by the
voluntary retirement of Sir Harry Blake. McIlwraith then took a trip to
China and Japan for the benefit of his health. When he returned
differences arose with his colleagues, and in August 1890 he made a
coalition with his former opponent Sir Samuel Griffith (q.v.) and became
colonial treasurer in his government. He was one of the representatives of
Queensland at the federal convention held at Sydney in 1891, and was on
the finance committee. He succeeded Griffith in March 1893 and became
premier in a new government, holding also the positions of secretary for
railways and vice-president of the executive council. On 24 October he
handed over the premiership to Sir Hugh Nelson and became chief secretary.
He, however, resigned his seat towards the end of 1895. He was offered the
agent-generalship of Queensland but declined it. He had become involved in
the financial crisis of 1893, and spent his last years in broken health
trying to piece together his shattered fortunes. He died at London on 17
July 1900. He married in 1879 Harriette Ann, daughter of Hugh Mosman, who
survived him with three daughters.
McIlwraith was a big man
with big ideas, but his indifferent health did not allow him to
successfully carry the full burden of them. He was rugged and masterful,
possibly on occasions not over-scrupulous, with a habit of getting his own
way by sheer force of character rather than by intellectual ability. For
nearly 25 years he was one of the greatest personalities in Queensland.
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