Alexander Fyfe

Alexander Fyfe (1827 – 1 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 1827 Scotland
Died	1903 (aged 75–76) Preston, Victoria, Australia
Resting place	Coburg Cemetery
Nationality	Scottish
Occupation	Pastoralist, Ironmonger's assistant

Early life

Fyfe was born in Scotland, the son of Jane Nicholson Bailliff. Fyfe emigrated to Australia, arriving in Melbourne in January 1848 aboard the Stag[2] and settled in Geelong.[1]

In Geelong, he was involved in the establishment of the:[3]

• 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:

• the Geelong Botanic Gardens
• the Flinders State School
• the Geelong-Melbourne railway

and captain of the first volunteer regiment.[3]

Alexander Fyfe was one of the first gold diggers at Ballarat. He was secretary of the Anti-Gold License Committee[4] and contributed to legal expenses of the trial of Peter Lalor, the leader of the Eureka Rebellion[3]

Politics

Fyfe was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council for Geelong in June 1854,[5] 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 [3] 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

Fyfe returned to Melbourne around 1873 and died in Preston, Victoria on 2 May 1903.[1]

References

1. "Fyfe, Alexander". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012.
2. Fyfe, Alexander; Government of Queensland. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
3. "DEATH OF MR. A. FYFE". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, Qld. 12 May 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
4. "ANTI-GOLD LICENSE COMMITTEE". Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer (DAILY ed.). Vic. 14 September 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "The Election. Declaration of the Poll". Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer. 26 June 1854. p. 4. Retrieved 24 August 2014 – via National Library of Australia.

Victorian Legislative Council
Preceded by James Cowie	Member for Geelong June 1854 – March 1856 With: Alexander Thomson 1854 James Harrison 1854–1856, James Strachan 1854–1856	Original Council abolished
Victorian Legislative Assembly
New district	Member for Geelong November 1856 – November 1857 With: Charles Sladen Charles Read John Brooke	Succeeded by George Board
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Henry Milford	Member for Rockhampton 20 June 1870 – 24 November 1873	Succeeded by Charles Buzacott