George Thorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Thorn
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| 6th Premier of Queensland | |
| In office 5 June 1876 – 8 March 1877 |
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| Preceded by | Arthur Macalister |
| Succeeded by | John Douglas |
| Constituency | Ipswich |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for West Moreton |
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| In office 2 July 1867 – 18 November 1873 Serving with Patrick O'Sullivan, Samuel Hodgson, John Ferrett, Joshua Peter Bell, Frederick Forbes
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| Preceded by | Joseph Fleming |
| Succeeded by | Seat Abolished |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Fassifern |
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| In office 25 November 1873 – 9 January 1874 |
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| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | John Thorn |
| In office 4 August 1887 – 10 May 1888 |
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| Preceded by | Alfred Midgley |
| Succeeded by | William Salkeld |
| In office 6 May 1893 – 11 March 1902 |
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| Preceded by | William Salkeld |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Murray-Prior |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Council | |
| In office 9 January 1874 – 16 June 1876 |
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| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Ipswich |
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| In office 20 June 1876 – 18 February 1878 |
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| Preceded by | Arthur Macalister |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Northern Downs |
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| In office 17 April 1879 – 7 September 1883 |
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| Preceded by | Joshua Peter Bell |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Muir Nelson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 October 1838 Sydney, Australia  Australia |
| Died | 15 January 1905 (aged 66) Ipswich, Queensland, Australia Australia |
| Resting place | Ipswich General Cemetery |
| Spouse | Celia Constance Maude Uniacke |
| Relations | George Thorn Sr. (father), John Thorn (brother), Henry Thorn (brother), William Thorn (brother) |
| Occupation | Grazier |
George Henry Thorn (born 12 October 1838, died 15 January 1905) was an important politician in Queensland, Australia. He served as a member of the Queensland Parliament and even became the Premier of Queensland, which is like being the leader of the state government.
Contents
Early Life and Education
George Thorn was born in Sydney, Australia. His father, also named George Thorn, was one of the people who helped start the city of Ipswich. His father was also a founding member of the Queensland Parliament.
George Thorn went to The King's School, Parramatta. He then studied at the University of Sydney. He was one of the first students to live at St Paul's College, University of Sydney. In 1858, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.
His sister, Jane Thorn, married George Harris in 1860. George Harris was also a member of the Queensland Parliament. Jane and George Harris lived in a famous house called Newstead House in Brisbane. Their parties were very popular in Brisbane society.
George Thorn's Political Career
George Thorn followed in his father's footsteps and became a politician. In 1867, he was elected as a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. This is like being a member of the state parliament. He represented the area called West Moreton. He held this position until 1873.
After that, he represented the area of Fassifern starting in November 1873. He resigned from this role in January 1874. He was then appointed to the Queensland Legislative Council, which was another part of the parliament. His brother, John Thorn, then won the election for the Fassifern seat.
Serving in the Legislative Council
While George Thorn was in the Legislative Council, he acted as the government's representative. He also held the job of Queensland Postmaster-General from January 1874 to July 1876. This meant he was in charge of the postal services for the state.
Becoming Premier of Queensland
In June 1876, George Thorn resigned from the Legislative Council. Even though being in the Legislative Council was usually for life, he wanted to run for a seat in the Legislative Assembly again. He successfully won the election for the Ipswich seat.
Soon after, on 5 June 1876, George Thorn became the Premier of Queensland. This was a very important role, making him the leader of the state government. He was also the Secretary for Public Works and Mines at this time.
He served as Premier until March 1877. After that, he stayed in the government under the new Premier, John Douglas. He continued to work as the Secretary for Public Works and later as the Secretary for Public Lands and Mines until February 1878.
Later Political Roles
In February 1878, George Thorn married Celia Constance Maude Uniacke. He then resigned from his Ipswich seat.
He later became Queensland's representative for the 1878 Paris Exposition. This was a big international exhibition. When he returned from Europe, he was elected to parliament again in April 1879. This time, he represented the Northern Downs area until 1883.
In 1887, he was elected for the Fassifern seat again. He held this position until 1888. His final time in parliament was when he was elected for Fassifern again in May 1893. He served until March 1902, when he lost the election. After this, he did not participate in politics anymore.
Later Life and Legacy
George Thorn passed away on 15 January 1905, at his home in Booval, Queensland. He was 66 years old. He was buried in the Anglican section of the Ipswich General Cemetery.
The gold mining town of Thornborough was named after him. This shows his lasting impact in Queensland.
See also
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1863–1867; 1867–1868; 1868–1870; 1870–1871; 1871–1873; 1873–1878; 1878–1883; 1883–1888; 1893–1896; 1896–1899; 1899–1902
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Council, 1870–1879
