James Francis Garrick

Sir James Francis Garrick KCMG QC, (10 January 1836 – 12 January 1907)[1] was a politician and agent-general from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In his later years, he lived in London.

The Honourable Sir James Francis Garrick KCMG QC
13th Treasurer of Queensland
In office 13 November 1883 – 31 December 1883
Preceded by	Archibald Archer
Succeeded by	James Dickson
Constituency	Queensland Legislative Council
Member of the Queensland Assembly for East Moreton
In office 1 July 1867 – 28 September 1868 Serving with Arthur Francis
Preceded by	Robert Cribb
Succeeded by	John Douglas
In office 10 May 1877 – 19 November 1878
Preceded by	William Fryar
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Queensland Assembly for Moreton
In office 19 November 1878 – 13 November 1883
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Thomas Macdonald-Paterson
Member of the Queensland Legislative Council
In office 13 November 1869 – 8 December 1870
In office 13 November 1883 – 28 August 1894
Personal details
Born	10 January 1836 Sydney, Australia
Died	12 January 1907 (aged 71) London, England
Spouse(s)	Catherine Cadell
Relations	Francis James Garrick (brother) Joseph Garrick (brother)
Alma mater	Sydney College
Occupation	Barrister, Agent-General, Judge, Solicitor

Early years

Garrick was the second oldest of ten children of James Francis Garrick (b. 1803 in Deptford, Kent, England; d. 1874 in Sydney) and Catherine Eliza Garrick (née Branson, b. 1811 in Gibraltar; d. 1900 in Woollahra, Australia). His parents were married on 10 June 1832 in St Martin-in-the-Fields, Surrey, England. They subsequently emigrated to Sydney to manage a flour milling business.[2][3]

Garrick was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 10 January 1836. He was educated at Sydney College. He married Catherine Garrick (née Cadell) on 3 January 1865.[1]

Legal career

Both Garrick and his older brother Francis James (born 1833) were sent to Sydney solicitors to learn the legal trade. The younger brother was admitted to the New South Wales' bar in 1860.[1][3]

James Francis moved to Brisbane in 1861 where only four attorneys were in practice at that time, whilst Francis James emigrated to New Zealand in February 1864.[1]

Soon after his appointment to the Queensland Legislative Council in 1869, he went to London, where he continued with legal studies and work, and was admitted to the bar in 1873. He returned to Brisbane in 1874, where he was also admitted to the bar. He worked as a crown prosecutor in various districts and was appointed Queen's Counsel (QC) in 1882.[1]

Political career

Garrick was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland (lower house) for the 1867–68 period, representing the East Moreton electorate. In November 1869, he was then appointed to the Queensland Legislative Council (upper house). He went to London soon after, though, and his seat was declared vacant in December 1870 after him missing two sessions.[1]

He represented East Moreton again in 1877–78, and after East Moreton was abolished, represented Moreton 1878–1883.[4] He was appointed Attorney-General in the Douglas ministry for a short period before the premiership went to Thomas McIlwraith in January 1879. He was an important member of the opposition led by Samuel Griffith. When Griffith took over the premiership in 1883, Garrick was appointed colonial treasurer for a brief period, before taking on the role as postmaster-general, a role that he held until 24 June 1884. Garrick was also appointed again to the Legislative Council, a role that he held from Nov 1883 to August 1894, but for most of the time he was actually in London.[1]

In June 1884, Garrick was appointed as the 5th agent-general for immigration in London. He held this post, with some interruption from 1888 to 1890, until 1895. He was successful of sending many immigrants to Queensland; in his first term, he averaged 10,000 per year.[1]

Later life and commemoration

Garrick remained in London until his death on 12 January 1907. He was survived by his wife and three children; Katherine Cecie Garrick, James Cadell Garrick and Francis Cadell Garrick.[1][5]

Garrick was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1885,[6] and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1886.[7]

Garrick's daughter Katherine endowed through her November 1916 will the James Francis Garrick chair of law at the University of Queensland in the memory of her father. The university's senate decided in 1923 on a chair in law, in the faculty of arts, to be called the "James Francis Garrick Professorship of Law". The chair is still in use at the TC Beirne School of Law.[5]

References

1. Johnston, W. Ross (1972). "Garrick, Sir James Francis (1836–1907)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Volume 4. Melbourne University Press. pp. 235–236. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
2. "Family Group Record". International Genealogical Index. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
3. "FRANCIS JAMES GARRICK (obituary)". The Star. 9 June 1890. p. 4.
4. "Part 2.15 – Alphabetical Register of Members of the Legislative Assembly 1860–2017 and the Legislative Council 1860–1922" (PDF). Queensland Parliamentary Record 2015–2017: The 55th Parliament. Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
5. White, Michael (8 December 2005). "History of the Garrick Chair at the TC Beirne School of Law". TC Beirne School of Law. Archived from the original on 31 January 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
6. "Gazette Issue 25477 published on the 6 June 1885. Page 2 of 2". London Gazette (25477): 2632. 6 June 1885. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
7. "Gazette Issue 25602 published on the 28 June 1886. Page 2 of 2". London Gazette (25602): 3082. 6 June 1885. Retrieved 30 January 2014.