Alexander Macleay (also spelt McLeay)
MLC FLS FRS (24 June 1767 – 18 July 1848) was a Scottish-Australian leading member of the
Linnean Society
The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature collec ...
, a fellow of the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
and member of the
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. Along with the New South Wales Legislative As ...
.
Life
Macleay was born in
Ross-shire
Ross-shire (; ), or the County of Ross, was a county in the Scottish Highlands. It bordered Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire, a county consisting of numerous enc ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, eldest son of William Macleay,
provost of
Wick
Wick most often refers to:
* Capillary action ("wicking")
** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp
** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts
Wick or WICK may also refer to:
Places and placenames ...
. Alexander had a classical education, before relocating to
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and becoming a wine merchant with his business partner William Sharp – after whom his first son was named. In 1795 he was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London, also serving as its secretary, and was also appointed chief clerk in the prisoners of war office. When the office was linked with the
Transport Board after war broke out, Macleay became head of the correspondence department and by 1806 secretary. The board was abolished in 1815, and Macleay retired on an annual pension,
of £750.
Macleay's chief natural history interest was
entomology
Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...
, principally
lepidoptery, and he possessed the finest and most extensive collection then existing of any private individual in England and possibly the world.
This included the British Collection of
John Curtis now housed in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
In 1813, he was elected a foreign member of the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences () is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special responsibility for promoting nat ...
.
On 14 June 1825, Macleay was appointed
Colonial Secretary for
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
.
He arrived in Sydney in January 1826, with his wife Eliza, 9 of his 10 surviving children, and his extensive collection. He was soon working twelve-hour days and on 17 July 1825 was nominated to the
New South Wales Legislative and Executive Councils, holding both positions until December 1836.
Macleay represented
Counties of Gloucester, Macquarie, and Stanley in the partially elected legislative council from June 1843 until 19 June 1848, a month before his death.
Originally residing at the Colonial Secretary's House in Macquarie Place, Macleay was granted land at
Elizabeth Bay by Governor Ralph Darling, where he constructed
Elizabeth Bay House and laid out an extensive botanic garden.
His extensive entomological collections formed the basis of the
Macleay Museum at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
.
Macleay was also very active beyond his scientific pursuits and was the foundation president of the
Australian Club.
Family
Macleay married Miss Eliza Barclay of Urie. Her memorial in St James Church states that Eliza gave birth to 17 children, of whom nine survived.
Macleay was the father of the entomologist
William Sharp Macleay, who expanded his father's collection, and of
George Macleay, also a zoologist.
William John Macleay
Sir William John Macleay (13 June 1820 – 7 December 1891) was a Scottish-Australian politician, naturalist, zoologist, and herpetologist.
Early life
Macleay was born at Wick, Caithness, Scotland, second son of Kenneth Macleay of Keiss and h ...
, his nephew, was also an explorer and collector in Australia and New Guinea.
His daughter,
Frances Leonora "Fanny" Macleay (1793-1836), was a botanical illustrator.
His daughter Rosa Roberta married Arthur Pooley Onslow; her children included
Arthur Alexander Walton Onslow and
Sir Alexander Onslow. Another daughter, Christiana Susan, married
William Dumaresq,
and their daughter Susan Frances Sophia was the wife of Queensland sugar industry pioneer and politician,
Louis Hope.
References
External links
*
Colonial Secretary's papers 1822-1877 State Library of Queensland
State Library of Queensland (State Library) is the state public reference and research library of Queensland, Australia, operated by the Government of Queensland, state government. The Library is governed by the Library Board of Queensland, whi ...
- includes digitised correspondence and letters written by Macleay when he was employed as Colonial Secretary relating to matters such as the
Morton Bay Penal Settlement and
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island ( , ; ) is an States and territories of Australia, external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head, New South Wales, Evans Head and a ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macleay, Alexander
1767 births
1848 deaths
British entomologists
Fellows of the Royal Society
Fellows of the Linnean Society of London
Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia
Colonial secretaries of New South Wales
19th-century Australian public servants
Presidents of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Macleay family